HC drops contempt charges against inspector

The division bench had received a recommendation from Justice L N Mittal who had held that 8220;prima facie a case of commission of contempt is made out against Ram Gopal8221;.

Ram Gopal, who was suspended at that time and had earned the wrath of the High Court for illegally detaining few local residents in the Sector-3 police station, despite their release orders passed by the High Court. The case dates back to 2007, when Ram Gopal was the station house officer SHO of the Police Station in Sector 3, Chandigarh.

One Munish Aggarwal, a resident of Sector 40, had moved the High Court demanding release of his friends Narinder Kumar Singhal; Sulabh Singhal and Saurabh Singhal. The trio was illegally detained by Gopal and a sub-inspector who has also been prima facie held guilty of contempt of court today.

On August 12, Aggarwal moved the High Court alleging that the trio had gone to the police station to register a complaint against one Ashok Kumar regarding a theft which had taken place in a showroom co-owned by Narender Kumar Singhal.

It was alleged that the trio had gone to register a complaint but were instead illegally detained by the SHO and the sub inspector.

The High Court had appointed a warrant officer to inquire into the issue. The warrant officer in his report stated that a mini truck CH-01-G1-6038 was seen coming out of the police station at the gate with the three detainees along with a sub-inspector. Aggarwal at once identified the trio and told it to the warrant officer.

When Ram Gopal was inquired, he had submitted that the three were not illegally detained. The warrant officer had said that no entry was made in the daily diary report regarding the detention of the trio. Moreover, it was stated by the warrant officer that the FIR registered on the complaint of the trio was also ante-timed by the SHO.

Taking strong note of the misconduct, the High Court had held that prima facie a case of commission of contempt of court is made out against Ram Gopal. However, another division bench today discharged him of the contempt proceedings.