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2018 suicide case: Give ex-DGP Chattopadhyaya 7-day notice before arrest, HC tells Punjab Police
The order was passed by high court bench of justice Arun Monga after it was told by Punjab Police that a probe into the suicide case was underway but he has not been nominated as an accused as of now
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday asked Punjab Police to give advance notice of seven days to former director general of police (DGP) Siddharth Chattopadhyaya, in the event of arrest in a 2018 suicide case.
The order was passed by high court bench of justice Arun Monga after it was told by Punjab Police that a probe into the suicide case was underway but he has not been nominated as an accused as of now.
Chattopadhyaya had moved the high court on September 21 seeking quashing of proceedings in the criminal case registered on January 3, 2018, for alleged abetment to suicide of former Chief Khalsa Diwan vice-president Inderpreet Singh Chadha. Chadha shot himself on January 3, 2018, following which an FIR was registered at Amritsar Airport police station on the complaint of his son.
Besides, seeking a stay on the investigation, pending probe, Chattopadhyaya had also demanded that he be given seven days advance notice in case of arrest.
The high court bench of justice Monga disposed of the plea with a direction that Chattopadhyaya be given seven days advance notice in case the life and liberty of the petitioner is intended to be impinged. A detailed order is awaited.
During the hearing, the Punjab police had also told the court that the probe was being conducted by an SIT led by IPS officer LK Yadav and it would continue with it. The high court had stayed the probe against Chattopadhyaya in May 2018 in this FIR. The stay was vacated on September 15, last month by a division bench.
