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Journalism of Courage
Thanks to our vigilant Chandigarh Police,that despite a look out circular and non-bailable warrants issued against him in a dowry harassment case,an NRI not only stayed with his family in Chandigarh for over a month,but also got married to another woman and flew back to the UK.
Not only was a criminal case registered by the Chandigarh Police against Rajneesh Pandhi,the NRI,but a complaint under the Domestic Violence Act is also pending against him in the Chandigarh district courts. In the criminal case,registered on charges of dowry harassment,the Chandigarh Police has already filed a charge-sheet against him and his parents. So much so,that a request demanding initiation of proceedings to declare Pandhi a proclaimed offender is pending before a local court.
Moreover,the Chandigarh Police initiated proceedings to get Pandhi extradited from the UK and a look out circular was issued. Despite all this,Pandhi returned to India from Leicester,UK,in the last week of April,stayed with his family for nearly a month and got re-married.
Shocked,Pandhis in-laws,already pursuing litigation against him,have filed a complaint with the Inspector General (IG) of the Chandigarh Police. A K Loomba,father of Pandhis first wife,in his complaint,demanded that the passport of the accused and his parents be impounded immediately.
A complaint was filed earlier this week with the IG and was also marked to the Women Cell for action. We will look into the possibilities of why he was not nabbed, said a senior police officer.
To corroborate his claims,Loomba has annexed the marriage certificate of Pandhis second marriage with his complaint. The certificate has been issued by registrar of marriages of Dera Bassi.
As per the marriage certificate,Pandhi married a Mohali woman on May 6. However,Pandhis father justified the second marriage on the grounds that the accused had obtained divorce from his first wife (Loombas daughter) in the UK. He denied knowledge of non-bailable warrants and look-out circular issued against his son. I am not aware of any such notice. My son got divorced in a UK court, said Ravinder Pandhi,a Sector 41 resident.
Loomba has submitted that the divorce obtained was ex-parte and as per law,it wasnt valid in India. Loomba has also produced a copy of the judgment of the Apex Court,which has held that divorce obtained by an NRI in a foreign country,for a marriage solemnised in India,is invalid.
That he returned to India,stayed with his family,got remarried and returned speaks volumes of the incompetence of the Chandigarh Police. Isnt it the duty of the police to keep a regular check on people,who are wanted by courts? How can we expect our police force to nab hardened criminals,who are on the run,if they cannot arrest an accused,who is wanted in a matrimonial dispute case, rued Loomba.
He told Chandigarh Newsline,We have prepared a fresh case on charges of bigamy against Pandhi. I will file a case in a lower court on Thursday.
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