Singrauli deaths: MP high court asks govt to take action on panel report

The Madhya Pradesh high court on Wednesday directed the state government to take action on the judicial commission’s report on the two deaths that occurred in Singrauli district in December 2013.

The Madhya Pradesh high court on Wednesday directed the state government to take action on the judicial commission’s report on the two deaths that occurred in Singrauli district in December 2013.

While one of the deaths had occurred in police custody, the other took place during alleged police firing.

The state government counsel Swapnil Ganguly informed the court the one-man judicial commission of retired district judge RK Tripathi has recently submitted its report to the government.

The government opposed the petitioner demand of a CBI probe into the series of incidents leading to the death of Akhilesh Shah.

"When the judicial commission has already filed its report, there was no need to have a CBI probe without going into the details of the commission’s report," Ganguly said.

He said, "The government will have to table the report in the legislative assembly first and will then take action accordingly."

A division bench of Justice Rajendra Menon and SK Gangele disposed of the petition by issuing direction to the state to take action on the inquiry report by August-end.

Akhilesh Shah along with Sanjay Shah was picked by the police on December 5, 2013 for refusing to hand over keys of a newly-purchased four wheeler vehicle in connection with a diesel theft case.

On December 6, 2013, the parents of Akhilesh complained to the district collector and the police seeking whereabouts of their son.

The body of Shah was later found on December 13, 2013.

Later Sanjay Shah, who the witness, was beaten up leading to his death, advocate Raghvendra Kumar, appearing for the petitioner social activist Ravi Shekhar Tiwari, said.

On December 13, 2013 when the relatives and other villagers gathered at the residence for funeral of Akhilesh there were some heated exchanges between the villagers and the police.

Take action in fake challans: HC tells DGP

The MP high court ordered the director general of police (DGP) to take action against traffic officials involved in issuance of fake challans to fine vehicles from 2004 to 2014 in Bhopal.

For ten years some officials of the Bhopal traffic police used fake challan receipts to fine rule violators and the amount recovered was not deposited with the state exchequer, a petition cited an inquiry report.

The state government counsel, Swapnil Ganguly, said, "The court has directed the DGP to take action on the inquiry report within six months by affording opportunity of hearing to the traffic department officials involved in the irregularity. The court has directed the DGP to submit his report to the HC's registrar general after taking action."