Convict interacts with media while in custody, cops rapped

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, February 24

The Punjab Police today found themselves at the receiving end following the interaction of dismissed DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon with the media while in custody during his production before a court.

“We are not happy with the manner in which a person in custody gave interview. Tomorrow, people in jail will give interview,” the Bench asserted.

Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu was also virtually questioned about his understanding of law.

“Let’s see your knowledge of law,” the Bench said on the issue of certain offences being bailbale or non-bailable.

The Bench asserted that offending videos were constantly being posted on social media platforms for the past six months in which derogatory remarks against constitutional institutions, a Supreme Court Judge and High Court Judges were being made on a regular basis.

The Bench then called for a status report giving an explanation as to how such offending videos amounted to an offence under the provisions of the IPC, the Information and Technology Act and other Special Acts.

Referring to a compliance report, the Bench of Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Harpreet Kaur Jeewan observed there was an admission that contemners Sekhon and Pardeep Sharma during police custody gave media bytes to news channel and newspaper reporters in the Ludhiana court premises.

There was also an admission of apparent lapse on the part of police officials/officers on duty and a departmental inquiry had been initiated against Sarabha Nagar SHO. Explanation had also been sought from Ludhiana ACP Crime-1 and ACP West.

Explanation sought

• “We are not happy with the manner in which a person in custody gave interview. Tomorrow, people in jail will give interview,” the Bench said.
• Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu was questioned in this regard
• A departmental inquiry had been initiated against Sarabha Nagar SHO and explanation sought from Ludhiana ACP Crime-1 and ACP West.

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