HC SEEKS FRESH REPORT INTO ATTACK ON JOSHI’S BROTHER

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a fresh status report into the incident of clash between Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers and Raja Joshi, brother of Punjab local bodies minister Anil Joshi, in Tarn Taran in February.

Tarn Taran SSP Manmohan Kumar has informed the court that the initiation of departmental action for his “inappropriate conduct” in the investigation against Tarn Taran DSP Sukhwinder Singh was under process. It falls in the purview of department of home affairs and justice, Punjab, and the director general of police, in a letter on July 16, had written to the additional chief secretary of the department recommending suitable action against him.

Singh had allegedly deleted the offence in the FIR registered under Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder), which was later re-introduced. But by that time, some accused in the case had secured bail from a lower court. The high court during the previous hearing in May had come down heavily on the police as well as the DSP observing that his action indicated an “unauthorised use of power”.

The high court was also dissatisfied with the fact that despite a special investigation team in place, the probe into the alleged incident had not progressed. The high court had then recorded that the circumstances only strengthened the impression of the court that the investigation was being subverted in order to give a quiet burial to the entire incident looking at the “personalities involved”.

The high court while posting the matter for September 1 has asked the police to file a fresh status report into the incident and also the progress on departmental action against the officer.

According to the allegations, an assault on Raja Joshi at the local SDM’s office in Tarn Taran was reported on February 10, allegedly triggered by a spat over delimitation.