UT Admn mulls probe into police ‘goof-up’

CHANDIGARH:Over a week after the high-profile stalking case “dented” the image of the Chandigarh Police and triggered a nationwide outrage and a spate of protests, the UT Administration is mulling over conducting a probe into the “goof up” by the police in handling the case.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 14

Over a week after the high-profile stalking case “dented” the image of the Chandigarh Police and triggered a nationwide outrage and a spate of protests, the UT Administration is mulling over conducting a probe into the “goof up” by the police in handling the case.

The action of the police in registering a “weak” FIR and allowing “instant” bail to the perpetrators of the crime, which has led to a political slugfest and thrown the issue in the crosshairs of national attention, needs to be probed, a top UT functionary told The Tribune here today.

The way the two youths (one being the son of Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala), high on the heady cocktail of power and liquor, chased and tried to obstruct the way of the 29-year-old girl has raised serious concerns over women’s safety in the city.

Sources privy to the deliberations said the Administration would like to find out why at the first stage, the UT police took four days to press the non-bailable charge of attempt to abduct under Section 365 of the IPC and Section 511 of the IPC, which relates to attempt to commit an offence punishable with life or other imprisonment, against both suspects and put them under arrest once again while initially they were allowed “instant” bail.

Raising serious concern over the police conduct in the case, a local lawyer, Hemant Kumar, wondered why till date a copy of the FIR had not been uploaded online despite clear-cut instructions of the SC. “I was surprised why the police summoned both accused on August 8 under Section 160 of the CrPC, which merely mandates the police to require the attendance of witnesses. Ideally, since the police had released both accused on bail on the day of registering the FIR, both ought to have been summoned under Section 41-A of the CrPC, which mandates the appearance of person(s) against whom a reasonable complaint has been made and credible information received of having committed a cognisable offence,” Hemant Kumar said.