Police officers have to toe the line of politicians in power: HC

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 31

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The Punjab and Haryana High Court asserted on Tuesday that it was aware of the fact that the police officers had to toe the line of politicians in power. It was also conscious of the fact the police officials suffered if they did follow the dictates and run the risk of being victimised when the rival politicians came to power.

The assertion came as Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi ruled reference for initiation of contempt of Court proceedings was not required to be made against investigating officer in “Saini case” Harvinder Pal Singh.

“The Majesty of this Court is preserved and upheld not by initiation of contempt proceedings, but by the manner in which it protects fundamental rights of the citizens and extends equal protection of laws and equality before law and justice to all who approach this Court and that is with what I would like this matter of initiation of contempt proceedings to end,” Justice Tyagi asserted.

The Bench, during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed for release of Punjab’s former top cop Sumedh Singh Saini, had taken exception to an email received on the High Court’s official ID purportedly sent by Harvinder Pal Singh.

Addressed to the Chief Justice, it was regarding transfer of Saini cases from the Bench to any other coordinate Bench on account of undue hurry being shown. Justice Tyagi had asserted the Court reserved the right to take appropriate action regarding the email casting aspersion about hurry in hearing of the matter without realizing that any habeas corpus petition raised serious issue of unlawful detention requiring to be heard on an urgent basis.

As the issue came up for resumed hearing, Justice Tyagi asserted the email appeared to have been sent by an over-energetic police officer. But the same could not be a matter of his own choice and he appeared to have been ill-advised regarding the same by someone from behind the scene.

“I am not only conscious of the harsh reality that the police officers work under tremendous pressure and even risk their lives in their fight against crime, but also aware of the fact that unfortunately one feature of our polity is that the police officers have to toe the line of politicians in power being under double edged sword where they suffer if they do not abide by the dictates and also run the risk of being victimized later on when rival politicians come to power,” Justice Tyagi added. Before parting with the matter, Justice Tyagi dismissed as withdrawn Saini’s plea for advancing the date of hearing his case fixed for September 9.