Panchkula DCP orders inquiry against official

The Panchkula police have initiated an inquiry against its own men over misrepresentation of facts before the Punjab and Haryana high court.

The deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Parul Jain has ordered an inquiry into misrepresentation of facts by police during a hearing on the bail application of a drug peddler Parveen Kumar. "The inquiry is on and necessary action will be taken in this regard," said Parul Jain, DCP, Panchkula.

The high court, meanwhile, issued notice to the accused on Wednesday on the application of police seeking cancellation of his bail. It was contended that there was concealment of facts during the arguments.

Hakam Rai, resident of Sector 26 here, complained to DCP on September 11 that Parveen Kumar, who was arrested on January 26 with 4kg opium along with his accomplices Harvinder Singh and Jora Singh, got bail from the high court on July 27, as the police misrepresented facts in the court. As per the FIR, the same day the police also recovered 9 kg opium milk (which can be converted into 36 kg opium) from the house of the accused in Sector 15. The house was taken on rent by the accused.

Rai complained to the police that Parveen was claiming that he procured bail by spending Rs 37 lakh and was now encouraging others to grease the palms of police officials to give false information and get bail.

On May 23, the court of additional district and sessions judge Sanjay Sandhir had dismissed Praveen's bail petition on the ground that huge quantity of opium was recovered from his possession. But, on July 27, the high court was informed that a challan had not been filed against him, whereas it was filed in the lower court. It was not contested that the quantity of opium was commercial and no other case was pending against him.

Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) inspector Karambir Singh, who is the investigating officer in the case, could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated attempts. It is learnt that instead of him, ASI Surjeet Singh, posted with CIA, was present in the high court during the hearing.