When it comes to drawing flak from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Chandigarh Police have had a record-worth noting.

Its inability to arrest Baba Pritpal Singh and councillor Davinder Singh Babla, ‘shoddy’ investigation into land fraud deals and failing to discover a third accused in the Nari Niketan rape case, have not only attracted scathing remarks but also judgements.

In three of these cases, investigating officers and teams were replaced after the HC expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation. Newsline recalls the censure the police have earned so far.

A ‘telegraphic’ probe
A case of forgery and cheating was registered against Baba Pritpal Singh on May 20. Since then, he is on the run.

The High Court had passed strictures on several occasions on the police’s “inability” to arrest Baba. And the police continued to cut a sorry figure on every hearing, requesting for more time to arrest Baba.

After the court raised eyebrows on its functioning, the investigating team was changed.

Later, terming the investigation as “telegraphic”, Justice Mahesh Grover had granted one last opportunity to the police to arrest the accused. “If your police are so incapable of handling this case then tell me, I will give it to some other investigating agency,” Justice Grover had told the UT counsel, while dismissing Baba’s anticipatory bail.

Counsels of the complainant in the case have alleged that the cops connived with the accused and were giving threatening calls to the complainant. So far, only a co-accused in the case has been arrested.

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