HC notice to Punjab govt, minister as 2 men allege threat to life

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought response from the Punjab government and state industries minister Sham Sundar Arora on a petition from two Hoshiarpur residents claiming threat to their life from an “aide” of Arora.

The bench of GS Sandhawalia also sought a status report from the Hoshiarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) within two weeks, failing which costs of Rs 10,000 each will be payable to the petitioners.

The SSP has also been directed to look into the representations made by the petitioners and take appropriate steps to ensure that their lives and liberty is not put under threat by the accused or their associate. The minister, the police and the state government have to respond to the allegations by September 13.

The court acted on the plea of Vivek Kaushal and Kamal Bhargav who had claimed threat to their lives from one Vishwanath Ohri of Hoshiarpur who is purportedly an associate of minister Arora. They had also alleged that even as one of them was brutally assaulted, but on July 31 a case was registered in Hoshairpur under bailable sections. They had demanded the case be handed over to an independent agency.

The court was told that an FIR was lodged in January 2019 against Vishwanath Ohri and a special investigating team (SIT) had found that he was involved in the incident, wherein even the deputy director, Punjab Police Academy (PAP), and the other government officials were assaulted and their vehicles damaged.

It was found that Ohri even fired a gunshot on the left thigh of his accomplice so that a crossfir could be lodged, the court was told, adding that even after this, due to collusion of state machinery with Ohri who is allegedly an aide of the minister, the petitioners had to move the court for an independent probe in that matter too and a status report has been called from the state as investigation was not being completed.

The court was told that Bhargav, along with his companions, were brutally assaulted in July and the incident was captured in CCTV cameras. But the FIR lodged on July 31 was under bailable offences to “favour” Ohri and his men, the court was informed.