HC orders probe into police claim

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered a judicial probe into a dispute hovering around a claim made by the Mohali police that a complainant in a case was unwilling to pursue the matter — an assertion denied by the complainant.

“As the facts are being disputed, an inquiry into the matter is required. Let Chief Judicial Magistrate, SAS Nagar, conduct an inquiry and send a report to this court,” Justice Rajesh Bindal ordered. The developments took place during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by Ravinder Jain against Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. A case of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and other offences was registered under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC in a land dispute on July 18 last year at Lalru.

The writ petition filed by the petitioner for action in the matter was disposed of by the High Court with a direction to the state of Punjab and other respondents to decide his representation within two months. Subsequently, the petitioner moved the court again for initiating contempt of court proceedings following alleged non-compliance of the orders. As the matter came up for hearing, an order dated February 9, passed by the Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police, was attached along with the reply. A reference was made to a statement purportedly made by the petitioner that he did not wish to proceed with the complaint.

The petitioner, on the other hand, denied the claim. His counsel told the Bench that he was called “many times” during the investigation and was made to sign a statement to “that effect”. Otherwise, he was interested in pursuing the complaint. The case will now come up for hearing after the summer vacation in the High Court.

  This is not the only case in which the functioning of the Punjab Police has come under the judicial scanner. The High Court, in another matter, has asked the Punjab Home Secretary to probe a compromise entered into by a cop with a “mob” of 67 accused and the overlooking of his “blatant action” by the superior authorities.

The accused, purportedly belonging to the Rural Veterinary Pharmacist and Rural Health Pharmacist Association, had allegedly created a ruckus at the PCA Stadium before throwing stones when a cricket match was in progress.