Punjab: Give list of cases where probe is pending for over 3 yrs: HC to DGP

The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Punjab director general of police (DGP) to file details of cases pending investigation in the state for the past three years.

The development comes in the wake of revelations that the investigation in 1,338 FIRs is pending for the last more than three years and thousands of accused have not been arrested in Amritsar district alone.

The high court bench of justice NS Shekhawat also sought a list of all IPS officers who remained posted as SSPs and DCPs in Amritsar since 2013, so that “appropriate disciplinary / legal action may be taken against all of them”.

“There has been no supervision at all by SSPs concerned and senior officers in district Amritsar,” the bench remarked.

The order was passed in an anticipatory bail matter of one Joginder Singh, a resident of Majitha in Amritsar, who had approached the high court in February claiming that a criminal case on allegations of cheating and forgery etc was registered in May 2018 and after a period of six years, the petitioner now has been falsely involved and the police is raiding his house. The complainant in the present case wanted to avoid the liability of the loan amount and it has been falsely alleged that the petitioner had impersonated himself, he had claimed.

As it came to light that the FIR was registered in 2018 and the probe was still pending, the court termed it a case of “serious lapse” on the part of the investigating officer as well as supervisory officer and sought the list of all the cases where the investigation is pending for the last more than three years.

In the affidavit filed, pursuant to this order, it was revealed the investigation into 1,338 FIRs is pending for the last more than three years.

“The court is shocked to know that in cases which were registered in the 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,” the court observed.

As per the proceedings, details shared also revealed that in some cases, the doctor’s opinion about the injuries suffered by the victims have not been obtained for the last more than four years. Also, in most of the cases, no efforts have been made to arrest the accused and thousands of criminals are on the run in Amritsar alone, the court recorded.

In one alleged drugs seizure case, the court termed it “shocking” that the investigating officer has not even deposited the samples in the FSL even after a period of about 10 years. In another drug- related case of 2015, the bulk parcel and inventory parcel were lost from the double lock ‘malkhana’ of the police station in Jandiala. Instances of loss of case property also came to fore in some cases.

“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. He shall also initiate disciplinary/legal/criminal action against officials who are found involved in destroying the police record and causing disappearance /destruction of the police files,” the court ordered, asking the DGP to file an affidavit by March 28 mentioning the list of all cases pending for the last more than three years.