Show us public distrust, probe lapses for CBI probe into IPS suicide: HC | Chandigarh News - The Times of India

Chandigarh: Hearing a PIL for a CBI probe into the suicide of senior Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday asked the petitioner to cite convictions in abetment-to-suicide cases based on similar allegations."Is the offence under 306 IPC (108 BNS) made out by these kinds of allegations? Please tell us one Supreme Court (SC) judgment where conviction was passed based on such allegations," the bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu orally observed while asking the petitioner to come prepared on the next date of hearing on Nov 10. The bench asked the petitioner to inform about some major lapses in investigation, provide concrete legal grounds and evidence of systemic failure, observing that the CBI is already quite overburdened with cases. Producing some SC judgments, the petitioner maintained that a CBI probe is essential to restore public confidence and transparency following the suicide of such a high-ranking officer who allegedly named multiple senior IPS and IAS officers in his note. The petitioner said some of the officers named have not yet been transferred. Deepak Balyan, additional advocate general, Haryana, questioned the locus standi of the petitioner, Navneet Kumar, who is a resident of Punjab, arguing he is filing a PIL on a matter that pertains to UT, and there appear to be no exceptional circumstances in the matter. Aman Pal, additional standing counsel, UT Chandigarh, informed the court that the UT has already constituted a SIT which has no Haryana-cadre member. "The probe is ongoing. The petitioner has no locus standi in this case, as the wife of the deceased is not before the court. This would scuttle the entire probe," the UT counsel informed the bench. Navneet Kumar, 43, a resident of Ludhiana, in his PIL, urged the court to hand over the case to the CBI to ensure an impartial and independent probe. He alleged the investigation being conducted by the Chandigarh Police suffers from inherent limitations of jurisdiction and institutional bias, especially considering the deceased was posted with the Haryana govt and the death occurred in UT Chandigarh. MSID:: 124997142 413 |