Slapped by CBI officer, booked in bribery case: Punjab and Haryana High Court junks CBI plea challenging cop’s acquittal

However, the trial court acquitted him in 2011 while accepting the defence evidence produced by the accused cop, who pleaded that he was falsely implicated in the case. The complainant also did not support the CBI case during the trial.

In March 2008, as per the defence evidence, Ram, who was then posted in Traffic Police, had issue a traffic challan to CBI constable Jang Bahadur. CBI Inspector M K Puri is also said to have arrived at the scene and misbehaved with Ram and Incharge Inspector S P S Sondhi. The two were allegedly threatened that they will be implicated in a false case. It was on Puri’s complaint, as per the defence, that Ram and Sondi were transferred from the Traffic Police. The trial court also recorded a finding that it has come in defence evidence that Puri, who was an Inspector then, slapped Ram and threatened to implicate him in a false case.

After the acquittal in 2011, the appeal was filed after a delay of more than 200 days. The Ministry of Law and Justice in 2012 had concurred with the decision to file appeal in the case and the same was listed for arguments after 2017 after condonation of delay by the court. The CBI in appeal said, “Trial court has failed to maintain an equilibrium between the prosecution version and the defence version by giving more weightage to the defence version as the prosecution has proved that there was a demand of bribe by the respondent – HC Sarat Ram.”

Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan, in the judgment dated February 26, said the court does not find any merit in the appeal filed by the CBI. It also noted that the trial court has recorded that a probe was carried out by DSP (since retired) K I P Singh in the incident regarding issuance of traffic challan and the same was proven.

“It has also come on record that the said Inspector M K Puri, remain associated with the investigation of the present case, which raised suspicion about the authenticity of the prosecution evidence. Accordingly, finding no illegality or perversity in the judgment of acquittal dated 23.12.2011 passed by the Special Judge, CBI Court, Chandigarh, the present appeal is hereby dismissed,” the judgment reads.