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2 inspectors in the dock

CHANDIGARH: For alleged laxity on the investigating officer’s part in a case of criminal breach of trust, two Chandigarh Police inspectors are in the dock. Inspectors Jasminder Singh and Chiranji Lal have been issued show-cause notices.



Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 29

For alleged laxity on the investigating officer’s part in a case of criminal breach of trust, two Chandigarh Police inspectors are in the dock. Inspectors Jasminder Singh and Chiranji Lal have been issued show-cause notices. Punitive departmental action is also on the cards against the “defaulting officers” for delay in summoning witnesses.

The Home Secretary’s silence on remedial steps for preventing delay in conclusion of trials, too, has not gone down well with the High Court. Justice Deepak Sibal has asked the Home Secretary to re-consider the matter.

Justice Sibal had earlier asked the Home Secretary to file an affidavit after taking cognisance of an embezzlement case in which the non-appearance of the investigating officer before the trial court delayed the trial for over a year and a half.

Justice Sibal had noticed that the prosecution witnesses were examined by the trial court for the first time after about four years of the petitioner being chargesheeted, before asking the Home Secretary to specify the reasons and steps required to be taken to prevent “such delays” in the future.

The developments took place on a petition by Ravi Kiran Singh against the UT Administration. As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Home Secretary’s affidavit was placed before the Bench. Taking the affidavit on record, Justice Sibal asserted: “It is expected that the show-cause notices will be taken to a logical end at the earliest, in accordance with law.” 

Justice Sibal added: “The affidavit further goes on to state that with regard to the delay in summoning witnesses, more effective measures shall be taken by calling comments/suggestions from the quarters concerned and further punitive departmental action will be taken against the defaulting officers and in this respect, necessary instructions have been issued for framing standing orders by the UT Senior Superintendent of Police  “The affidavit is found silent with regard to the remedial steps to be taken by the Administration, particularly in its supervisory capacity over its prosecution wing to prevent delays in the conclusion of trials. On this aspect, the Home Secretary is directed to re-consider the matter and file a separate affidavit on or before the adjourned date.” Justice Sibal, on the previous date of hearing, had asserted that the prosecution showed laxity from 2010 till the cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses in 2016. “I direct the Home Secretary to file an affidavit detailing therein the reasons why in spite of repeated clear-cut directions by the trial court, the investigating officer did not appear, delaying the trial for about a year and a half, and after the charge had been framed why for at least 16 dates no effective steps were taken by the prosecution to produce the prosecution witnesses,” Justice Sibal had added.

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