SIT yet to quiz accused: Officer
DEHRADUN: The newly formed special investigation team (SIT) has taken over documents related to the probe into the Dharma Sansad hate speech case from the Haridwar Kotwali police where the case was first registered, but it has not interrogated any accused yet, officials associated with the probe said on Friday.
The SIT, formed by deputy inspector general, Garhwal range, Karan Singh Nagnyal on Sunday, is led by Dehradun (rural) superintendent of police Kamlesh Upadhyay. She is assisted by an assistant SP, an inspector who is the investigation officer, and two sub-inspectors.
“The SIT has received all the documents related to the case from Haridwar Kotwali police, which was probing the case,” said Upadhyay. “Investigation officer Manish Upadhyay will soon start his probe in the case.”
Asked if any of the accused or suspects has been interrogated, she replied in the negative. “Nobody has been questioned so far by the SIT. It would be done after the probe is started,” said Upadhyay.
The SIT was formed amid criticism against the police for “delayed and slow action” against the accused who delivered the hate speeches in the three-day Dharma Sansad held in Haridwar from December 17-19.
The experts have, however, termed the formation of SIT a “delaying tactic.”
Senior advocate at Nainital high court Kartikeya Gupta said, “When a case was already registered in the Haridwar police station followed by a probe by a police officer concerned, then what was the need to form the SIT? It sends a message that the officer probing the case was incompetent and hence an SIT has been made by the police.”
He added, “It has been about 15 days since the case was registered against the accused. It is an adequate period for a considerable investigation to take a concrete action including arresting of the accused. This SIT is just a delaying tactic as it is a not a very significant step taken by the police.”
A police case was registered after videos of the event emerged on social media on December 22. The first information report was registered on December 23 which listed only one accused, Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, formerly Waseem Rizwi. Later, two more names, Annapurna Maa alias Pooja Shakun Pandey, and Dharamdas Maharaj, a general secretary of the Hindu Mahasabha, were added.