HC shocked as 1,338 cases pending for 3 yrs in Amritsar

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has expressed shock at the staggering backlog of criminal investigations in Amritsar district alone, where 1,338 FIRs have been pending for over three years, leaving “thousands of accused” on the run.

Lambasting the lack of police supervision, Justice NS Shekhawat has directed the state to provide a list of all IPS officers who have served as Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) in Amritsar since 2013, “so that appropriate disciplinary/legal action may be taken against all of them”.

Justice Shekhawat also directed the State Director-General of Police to submit an affidavit listing all cases across Punjab where investigations have remained pending for over three years.

“The court is shocked to know that in cases registered in the year 2013, the investigation is still stated to be pending. In several cases, the files of the investigating officers are missing for the last more than 10 years and it has been stated that the police file is under reconstruction. In few cases, it has been found that the doctor's opinion with regard to the injuries suffered by the victims have not been obtained for the last more than four years. Still further, in most of the cases, no efforts have been made to arrest the accused and thousands of criminals are on the run in one district of Punjab,” the Bench asserted.

Justice Shekhawat further noted that attempts were not made to arrest accused in more than a few cases and proceedings were not been initiated to declare absconding accused as proclaimed offenders or attach their properties.

Taking serious note of the complete breakdown in supervision, the court said, “The Director General of Police, Punjab, is directed to look into the matter personally and to ensure that the investigations are conducted fairly as per the procedure established by law and the cases are not closed in a hurry.”

Justice Shekhawat also ordered the DGP to initiate disciplinary, legal, or even criminal action against officials found guilty of destroying police records or causing the disappearance of investigation files. The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 28.