HC asks City police to complete probe within three months

CHANDIGARH, Aug 11: Disposing of two petitions pertaining to the alleged embezzlement of crores of rupees in the Shivalik Environ Co-oper...

CHANDIGARH, Aug 11: Disposing of two petitions pertaining to the alleged embezzlement of crores of rupees in the Shivalik Environ Co-operative House Building Society in Saketri, near here, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Chandigarh Police to complete the entire process of investigation within three months. The court, however, did not agree to the petitioners’ demand of handing over the investigation to the CBI.

Taking up the case, after repeated adjournments in the past, Justice R.L. Anand directed the Chandigarh Police to file at the first instance the 46-odd challans prepared by it against the four accused in the case — Dr Balwan Singh, Narveer Singh, Deepak Chaudhary and Dr Mina.

Newsline had earlier highlighted the alleged embezzlement in which least 800 members of the Society were duped of crores of rupees.

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Observing that the challans against the accused should not be filed in a hurry or haste, the court also gave directions to the SSP, Chandigarh, to get all the challans against the accused verified by an officer of not less than the rank of an IPS officer. Directing the completion of the process of investigation within three months, the court said this included the time which might be taken up by the prosecution for the scrutiny of the challans itself.

Justice Anand also directed the SSP, Chandigarh, to look into the serious allegations and also collect more evidence against the accused, if required. For this, he ordered him to give directions to the Investigating Officer/supervisory officer in the case.

The court directed that in case the complainants felt that some valuable evidence had not been collected by the Investigating Officer, they would have the right to submit an application before the SSP, Chandigarh, who shall direct the Investigating Officer to examine those aspects and if necessary, such evidence may also be taken into possession.

Further directions were given to the police that if it found that some more challans were necessary with regard to the alleged embezzlement by certain persons, it shall file the same after completing the investigation with respect to those instances of embezzlement.

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Directions were also given to make efforts for taking into possession the sale deeds with regard to the land in Saketri from the office of the Sub-Registrar, which the petitioners had alleged that the Chandigarh Police had not collected.

The petitioners — Bachitter Singh, Maj Gen D.P. Singh and others — while praying for handing over investigation to the CBI had alleged that they had been duped of crores of rupees by the accused who ran the society earlier and whose mastermind was Dr Balwan Singh, till then working with the HSEB.

They had alleged that since the accused were influential, they could hamper the investigations handled by the Chandigarh Police as they could influence both the UT Administration and the Chandigarh Police, even as the investigations have not been carried out in right earnest.

The Administration and the local police, in their reply, had negated the allegations and had said that 46 challans were prepared against the accused.