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They killed a PO in a fake
encounter, now get it from the court
WSN Network
CHANDIGARH: Off
an on the Punjab police keeps getting the whip but the shamelessness
lies in the way the politicians entrust the shady officers with
prime posts. Parkash Singh Badal had no problems in putting Sumedh
Singh Saini as head of the Vigilance Bureau because he seemed ready
to go hammer and tongs after Amarinder Singh, BIS Chahal and S S
Virk, the pet peeves of the Badal family.
Now, with the Punjab
and
Chandigarh
police doing precious little to bring proclaimed offenders to
justice in the 1991 bomb blast case, a Division Bench of the Punjab
and Haryana High Court has handed over the investigation of the case
to the CBI.
Disbanding the
Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was constituted on the
directions of the High Court, the Bench expressed its disapproval of
both the
Chandigarh
and Punjab police.
Sumedh Singh
Saini who was attacked in the bomb blast which took place in 1991 in
Sector 17, Chandigarh, came
under the scanner of the High Court.
"This case has
intra-state ramifications which the Chandigarh and
Punjab police will not be in a position to investigate. Further,
Sumedh Singh Saini was at the helm of affairs of the Chandigarh
Police and was serving as a SSP. As of today, he is holding a very
important post and is in position to influence the investigation
officer if the case is handed over to Punjab Police or even for that
matter to the Chandigarh Police. Since the Chandigarh Police have
now woken up that POs have to be brought to justice and are making
efforts to procure presence, there is no need for the Special
Investigation Team (SIT)," read the final order.
In yet another
significant development, Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice A N
Jindal have directed the CBI to clearly look into the allegations of
false encounter of Balwant Singh Multani (one of the POs in the
case), as claimed by his father Darshan Singh Multani, retired IAS
officer, Punjab.
Taking a strong
note of the affidavit of Darshan Singh Multani in which he had
levelled startling allegations of elimination of his son at the
hands of the police, the High Court has directed the CBI to find out
the police officers responsible for false encounter.
In order to
ensure fair and complete investigation of the case by the CBI, the
High Court directed the Director General of Police (DGP) of
Rajasthan, Punjab and
Chandigarh to assist and give full co-operation to the CBI in the
investigation. The CBI has been also directed to take into account
the allegations levelled by Darshan Singh Multani and if required,
register an FIR as well.
"The CBI is at
liberty to come back to the court if it does not get cooperation
from police officials of Punjab,
Rajasthan and Chandigarh. The CBI is further directed not to
disclose the identity of witnesses apart from this court, that too
when the court asks for the same. The CBI also has the liberty to
register an FIR on statement of any of affected parties or on
statement of Darshan Singh Multani," the order read.
The CBI has been
directed to file a status report in this case by December 5, in a
sealed cover.
10 October, 2007
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