Closure report against 2 former Cong MLAS refused

“Assign probe to DySP or above rank”

JAMMU: City Judge Jammu Prem Sagar on Tuesday refused to accept a closure report filed by police in a case of alleged attack and manhandling of shopkeepers by various Congress leaders and others, and directed the SSP, Jammu to assign the investigation to any competent senior officer not below the rank of DySP so as to unveil the truth and book the guilty.
Observing that ‘some foul play appears to have been done by the investigating agency at the hands of the then politicians’, the court gave the police a time of one month to complete the investigation and file it with detailed investigation report in court by next date.
The closure report was filed by Kanachak Police Station in FIR NO 175 of 2016, under sections 341, 323, 147 RPC against Balwan Singh Ex-MLA, Mula Ram Ex-Minister, Ramesh Singh Manhas, Ravi Kant Seth, Hari Singh-all Congress leaders and others, who on November 28, 2016 allegedly attacked the shopkeepers of Mishriwala and forced them to close the shops.
When shopkeepers opposed, the accused had allegedly manhandled them and all such activities were done on instance of Ex-MLA Balwan Singh and Hari Singh.
Balwan Singh had allegedly held the collar of complainant Rohit Verma and slapped him and other shopkeepers.
While directing for reinvestigation, City Judge Jammu Prem Sagar observed that during the course of investigation, IO visited the spot and recorded the statement of the witnesses.
File further reveals that initially the investigation was done by sub inspector Sandeep Singh but after his transfer, the investigation of the case was handed over to one SGCT Manzoor Hussain. But it appears that statements recorded by SGCT Manzoor Hussain and SI Sandeep Singh are totally contradictory and the medical opinion has not been obtained and the case was closed as not Admitted.
It is pertinent to mention that the then DySP Domana wrote to Inspector Naresh SHO Kanachak to investigate the case personally and obtain medical opinion of the injured persons and close the case on merits.
Court further observed that statement of complainant Rohit Verma is self explanatory and it appears that despite the directions of SDPO, Domana the then SHO has not investigated the case under the provisions of law and some foul play appears to have been done by the investigating agency at the hands of the then politicians.
“Court cannot be a mute spectator in such cases where the police in order to please the political masters failed to discharge its duty under Law. The court is not to act as a post office but it is the duty of the court to ensure that justice should have been done and rule of law shall prevail for meeting ends of justice. Therefore whatever has been discussed herein above and keeping in view the manner in which the investigation of the above stated FIR is done is not acceptable,” the court said.