High court to slap R5,000 fine on Punjab cops for sloppy functioning

CHANDIGARH: Punjab cops will soon have to pay a fine for sloppy functioning. The Punjab and Haryana high court will impose a fine of `5,000 on investigating officers (IOs) in each case for any slackness shown in assisting the court.

The order came after the single judge bench of justice Mahesh Grover found that repeated directions had been issued that IOs should remain present during the hearing or at least there should be somebody well-versed with the facts of the case so that the time of the court is not wasted and also that the accused is not left to languish in jail for the fault of the police not properly assisting the court.

The court observed that despite efforts from the courts, the situation showed no redemption and frequently the court’s time was wasted due to the fault of police officials not rendering the assistance.

“This court deems it appropriate to pass direction that in every case where there is default by the IO in assisting the court by non- appearance or even sending a person with no information about the case, the IO shall be burdened with the cost of Rs 5,000 which shall be recovered from his personal pay,” justice Grover said.

The money would be deposited before the mediation and conciliation centre of the high court. The high court also directed that the order be sent to the Punjab home secretary and state advocate general.

The order came on the bail plea of a Hoshiarpur resident who was booked for cheating, forgery, using forged documents and criminal conspiracy in 2008. The petitioner was in custody since January 2014. But in January 2015, the court had noticed that since his surrender no witness had been examined at the lower court. The co-accused in the case has been granted bail. In March 2015, during a hearing, the state sought adjournment on some account. But when the case came up for hearing on July 16, the state counsel told the high court that though a police official was present, he was neither the IO nor did he know anything about the case.