Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Apr 24: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday asked Punjab DGP (human resource development) Sidhharth Chattopadhyaya to submit his final investigation report in relation to the alleged involvement of Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Raj Jit Singh in Punjab’s drug haul case on or before May 9.
A division bench headed by Justice Surya Kant passed these orders after hearing Punjab advocate general, Atul Nanda and senior advocate Anupam Gupta in the court chambers.
The bench also ordered to continue the stay in the investigation against Chattopadhyaya in the Inderpreet Singh Chadha suicide case of Amritsar.
The matter had reached the HC in the wake of Chattopadhyay’s petition accusing two DGPs of using Chadha’s suicide as tool to put pressure on him in the drug haul case.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, Chattopadhyay’s counsel advocate Gupta told the court that Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh was in contempt of court for having called a disciplinary meeting of all high-ranking police officers with regard to the issue pending before the HC.
On that, Justice Surya Kant observed that the court was looking at the issue from a different aspect. “This court has the highest respect for all the high-ranking police officers of the state and cannot forget the service and the sacrifice they made during the difficult times which the state went through,” the bench observed.
In response to Chattopadhyay’s allegations that the investigation against him in the Inderpeet Singh Chadha suicide case was being influenced, Punjab AG Atul Nanda suggested names of five senior cops to the bench, saying the probe (of Chadha suicide case) may be probe by anyone of them. He also submitted that the police officer selected from these five names would be insulated from all posts of the state police and function directly under the high court.
The bench, however, suggested that the investigation could be conducted under the monitoring of a retired judge of the high court. Nanda, however, objected to that on the grounds that it would be tearing down the institutional framework of the police structure and investigation mechanism.
On Nanda’s request, the matter was heard inside judges’ chamber. Both Nanda and Anupam Gupta were present in the chamber before the bench. Later the bench adjourned the hearing of the case for May 23, directing Chattopadhyay to submit his report regarding Raj Jit’s case on or before May 9 in sealed cover.
On April 6, Chattopadhyaya had moved an application in the HC that he was being targeted by senior police officers “whose role was under investigation for being closely associated with Raj Jit Singh”. Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Raj Jit Singh’s role in drug cases is being investigated on the high court directions.
Chattopadhyaya has sought probe from CBI or a retired high court judge in the Chadha suicide case.
