Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) chairman, member and officers on Wednesday offered to “record their statements” to the investigating agency probing into the suicide case of an Amritsar based cable operator.
TDSAT chairperson justice Aftab Alam, justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the Supreme Court and justice SK Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana high court, besides judicial officers form Amritsar were among those who were present at the seminar on March 28, when the cable operator, Jaswinder Singh Jassi, had consumed poison. He later died in a hospital.
In a letter to the editor, Hindustan Times, TDSAT advisor DP De claimed that the judges sitting on the dais at the seminar were not approached by any member of the investigating team for recording their statements. “A request was received on April 9 from Harjit Singh Brar, additional deputy commissioner of the police special branch, Amritsar, asking for video recording of the seminar. In response to the request, 11 DVDs containing full recording of the seminar was sent to him on April 10,” De claimed in the letter.
“Perhaps the judges have not been approached by the investigating agency as they believe that they would not be able to say in regard to the matter anything more than what could be seen in the video recording. However, to put the matter beyond any doubt, I am directed to say that the TDSAT chairperson, member and officers/staff present at the venue are willing and ready to give their statements to the investigation agency as and when required,” De stated in the letter.
{{/usCountry}}“Perhaps the judges have not been approached by the investigating agency as they believe that they would not be able to say in regard to the matter anything more than what could be seen in the video recording. However, to put the matter beyond any doubt, I am directed to say that the TDSAT chairperson, member and officers/staff present at the venue are willing and ready to give their statements to the investigation agency as and when required,” De stated in the letter.
{{/usCountry}}De’s statement came in the wake of news reports published on April 11, following a press conference by retired judge Ajit Singh Bains. At the press conference justice Bains had said that since judges were present at the venue where the incident took place, they should have recorded their statements before the investigating agency.
De said judges never had “refused” to give a statement.