CBI refuses to take up probe

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18

More than a year after former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh’s relative Akansh Sen was crushed to death under the wheels of a BMW car in Sector 9, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has refused to take up the probe.

Information to this effect was given to the Punjab and Haryana High Court as the case came up for a resumed hearing. Taking up the matter, Justice Rajan Gupta questioned Chandigarh Home Secretary’s order directing the CBI probe. Justice Gupta wanted to know whether the procedure prescribed had been followed.

The CBI was also asked to elaborate on the reasons behind its refusal.

The counsel for the UT Administration, Randeep Singh Rai and Gautam Dutt, were also asked to assist the Bench on the issue on the next date of hearing.

Dutt, on the previous date of hearing, had told the court that an order had been passed by the Administration for probe by the premier investigation agency, but he was not aware of the terms of reference.

An FIR in the matter was registered on February 9 last year for attempt to murder and another offence under Sections 307 and 34 of the IPC at the Sector 3 police station.

The development took place on a petition filed by Ramanjit Kaur against the UT Administration and other respondents. The mother of one of the accused, she, through counsel Pawan Kumar, sought issuance of direction to the UT Administration for referring the matter to the CBI for investigation. It was alleged that the petitioner and her family were being harassed in the name of investigation.

Victim Akansh was allegedly hit and dragged under the wheels of the BMW in Sector 9 on February 9 last year. Following the incident, the police slapped murder charges against two accused — Balraj Singh and Harmehtab Singh.

Referring to the events narrated in the FIR, one of the accused had earlier claimed that Akansh and another person visited on Deep Sidhu’s house early morning to enquire about a friend, Shera. They apprehended that Shera and Harmehtab were together in the house. It was then Balraj got into his car with Harmehtab sitting on the passenger side and drove the car over the victim.