High Court issues notice to Punjab, two MLAs

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 21

In a cop versus legislators case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to Punjab, two MLAs and other respondents. The notice by Justice Arun Monga came on Inspector Vijay Kumar’s petition claiming that the case was a classic example of “chor ki dadhi mein tinka”, which literally means “a guilty conscience needs no accuser.”

Cop v/s Legislators

Inspector Vijay Kumar was seeking the quashing of the chargesheet issued to him on the grounds of being illegal, malafide and colourable exercise of power allegedly at the instance of two sitting MLAs

He was seeking the quashing of the chargesheet issued to him on the grounds of being illegal, malafide and colourable exercise of power allegedly at the instance of the two sitting MLAs. Vijay Kumar through his counsel Manu K Bhandari claimed that the two panicked when they came to know that the petitioner had recorded a conversation.

Elaborating, Kumar submitted the conversation was between him and the personal assistant of one of the legislators. Enclosing a copy of the transcript along with the petition, Kumar added the conversation clearly brought out the fact that the person was repeatedly putting pressure on him to help another person already facing criminal cases and being investigated for liquor smuggling.

Appearing on the petitioner’s behalf through videoconferencing, Bhandari added a person with criminal antecedents was propped up to complain against the Inspector. On its basis, an FIR was registered against him. The respondent MLAs were not satisfied with the registration of the FIR alone and wanted to get the petitioner dismissed from service. Bhandari added the charge sheet was issued to the petitioner on the diktat of the respondent-MLAs.