Framed by senior, 2 cops acquitted

To escape punishment, a head constable with Haryana Police had blamed two juniors for the escape of an undertrial from police custody. To ensure that the two constables were convicted, the head constable became a complainant in the case and the Haryana Police filed a case against the duo.

Three years later, a Panchkula Court has nailed the bundle of lies made by the head constable. Indicting him for gross negligence and holding him responsible for the escape of the undertrial, Panchkula Chief Judicial Magistrate Dr Atul Marya has slammed Haryana Police for the "shoddy" investigation. The Court has also ordered that the judgment should be brought to the notice of the Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police for "necessary information and necessary action as per law".

Dr Marya has also come down heavily on Head Constable Satpal Singh for telling lies and "passing the buck" on to the two constables. Taking strong exception to the fact that the two constables were made "scapegoats", the CJM has acquitted the two constables, Raghbir Singh and Ashok Kumar. The undertrial Vinod Kumar has been awarded two years' rigorous imprisonment (RI).

On May 6, 2009, when Head Constable Satpal was asked to take two undertrials from Ambala to Panchkula for medical examination. The two, Vinod and Om Parkash, were facing a trial on charges of murder and were to be taken to a Panchkula government hospital from Ambala for medical examination.

As per the "complainant", after reaching Panchkula the custody of the two undertrials was handed over to the two constables accompanying them. After a little while one of the constables informed the head constable that Vinod Kumar had escaped from custody. Vinod was arrested a few days later.

Squarely blaming the two constables for the escape, the head constable complained to the police but after a delay of seven hours. A case was registered against the two and a prosecution was launched. Raising eyebrows over the delay caused, the Court has held that "the delay gave him time to deliberate and advance a coloured version to avoid his own liability and transfer the buck on to other police officials. The accused fled at around 11 am and the matter was reported to the police at 6 pm".

... contd.

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