IO almost killed the case; court passes strictures

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajeev Goyal passed strictures against Investigating Officer (IO) of Akansh Sen murder case for being negligent in preparation of site plan and not collecting upper body clothes of the victim.

Even the crime spot was not shown in the site plan. Based on this, the defence alleged that the evidence was fabricated.

The court observed, “IO was remiss while site plan and other documents were being prepared during course of investigation. He did not even show H.No.165, Sector 9-B, Chandigarh, (crime spot) in the site plan and during evidence, gave absurd explanation that due to paucity of space on the paper, he could not show the said house in the site plan.”

“He (IO) did not even seize upper body clothes of the deceased. Said clothes were not produced before the Medical Board even though the same were demanded vide letter Ex.PW5/D1 and nothing was explained as to where had those clothes vanished,” questioned the judge.

The judgment said, “ In the circumstances of the case, what can be observed by this court is that the IO of this case remained negligent during investigation, but he cannot at all be accused of conducting a tainted investigation under the pressure of political high ups.”

“In case, family of deceased is politically well connected (with former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh), so is the family of accused, who is none else but grandson of ex-CM of erstwhile State of PEPSU. Hence, no benefit of lapses and omissions committed by the IO can be extended in favour of the accused whose guilt is otherwise proved on the strength of credible and reliable evidence of the eyewitnesses of the occurrence,” the judge said.