Standoff over suspensions imminent

CHANDIGARH, May 10: The issue of action against certain policemen indicted in the missing files case' is snowballing into a row within t...

CHANDIGARH, May 10: The issue of action against certain policemen indicted in the missing files case8217; is snowballing into a row within the UT Administration, according to indications available here.

The all-important files relating to the two murders in 1983 and 1984 were reported missing. The UT Legal Remembrancer, Sanjiv Kumar, who was asked to inquire into the missing files, submitted his inquiry report recently, in which he is reported to have indicted two DSPs, one Inspector, one Sub-Inspector and one Head Constable.

When UT Administrator Lt Gen B.K.N. Chhibber retd ordered the suspension of the five policemen on the recommendation of Home Secretary Anuradha Gupta, IGP Kiran Bedi took up the matter with him last week and pointed out several quot;shortcomingsquot; in the inquiry conducted by the Legal Remembrancer.

A senior UT officer, who did not want to be identified, told Chandigarh Newsline that the Administrator has today written to the IGP for registration of a case of forgery and criminal misconduct against two of the suspended policemen, DSP D.S. Thakur and Inspector P.K. Dhawan.

However, IGP Kiran Bedi told Chandigarh Newsline that the five policemen quot;are not yet suspended and are on leavequot;. Regarding the registration of criminal cases, she said: quot;It is premature to say anything on this.quot;

While the suspended officers deny receipt of the orders, the UT official said that these have been served at their respective residences. quot;They will be treated as suspended from the day the orders were despatched,quot; said the UT official.

Another police official indicated that the matter would be referred to the Union Home Ministry. The police feel that the inquiry report was incomplete as senior officers such as SP Baldev Singh who was the former inquiry officer in the case, SSP C.S.R. Reddy, previous IGP R.P. Singh or the present IGP were not even talked to.

Story continues below this ad

However, according to a senior UT official: quot;The Administrator considered the points the IGP had made but felt the charges against the suspended policemen were too serious to be ignored.quot;

quot;All officials relevant to the case were questioned; there was no need to ask SSP C.S.R. Reddy or either of the two IGPs as they were not here when the two murders took place,quot; added the official. quot;About SP Baldev Singh, since he was no longer the inquiry officer, he need not have been questioned.quot;

The official pointed out that as per the inquiry report, Thakur and Dhawan had forged documents relating to the murder of Ganpat Rai in 1983. Files were freshly prepared and the evidence tampered with. Dhawan, as investigating officer, had identified the five accused but no arrests were made and there were no mention of them in the new report.

While police officials maintain that the cases were closed as quot;untracedquot;, UT official said a case is treated as untraced only if the court closes it. quot;Neither of the two cases was sent to court,quot; added the official.

Story continues below this ad

On the other hand, police officials contend that the two cases were inconsequential as no accused was arrested. quot;There is just no case of any accused being let off,quot; they argue. Also, police officials say that there is clear contravention of Punjab Police Rules, as suspension orders have not been routed through the IGP or SSP who are the appointing and the disciplinary authorities of police personnel of the rank of inspector and below.