E-Paper
DGP vs bizman: ASP-rank officer to conduct probe, Himachal govt to court
Himachal high court’s amicus curiae had expressed dissatisfaction over DSP-rank officer investigating case
Advocate general Anup Kumar Rattan assured the high court of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday that an additional superintendent of police-rank officer would probe the matter pertaining to a Palampur-businessman’s allegations against the director general of police (DGP).
In his complaint, Nishant Sharma had alleged threat to his and his family’s life and levelled serious allegations against DGP Sanjay Kundu.
The high court warned against a media trial into the and ordered that facts should be presented according to its orders. The court ordered added that the security cover provided to Sharma and his family, two constables, stay intact.
The HC ordered that the investigation into the matter be conducted by a senior officer.
During the proceedings, Kangra Police submitted the status report of the investigation conducted so far.
Meanwhile, a court-appointed amicus curiae expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation so far and stated that questioning of the accused should have been conducted in this case. Despite registering an FIR, the identities of those who issued threats to Sharma could not be identified.
After the high court’s cognisance of the matter, Kangra Police had registered an FIR on November 17. The FIR was registered for wrongful restraint, intentionally causing hurt, criminal intimidation and criminal act done by several persons with common intention under sections 341, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against two people as alleged in the complaint, Kangra police had said.
Businessman Sharma, in his complaint to the Shimla SP, had alleged threat to him, his family members and property from his partners and cited an incident of “brutal attack” on him in Gurugram on August 25, saying two influential people of Himachal, including a former Indian Police Service officer, were identified in the CCTV footage.
“I came to Palampur in Kangra district after the attack but the DGP called me up from his official number and forced me to come to Shimla, and on the same day two criminals stop me at Mcleodganj in Dharamshala and threaten to harm my two-and-half-year-old kid and wife,” he alleged.
“I drove to the house of the SP, Kangra, at Dharamshala and narrated the plight to her and gave her my complaint but nothing has been done so far,” he alleged.
After a case had been registered against him, he demanded an independent and unbiased investigation and lodging of an FIR, including against the DGP.” This is the only way you would be able to apprehend this whole gang of extortionists,” he had stated.
In his complaint, the DGP had maintained that Sharma had on October 29 sent him an email to on his official ID, with copies to other officials in which he made “false allegations” with intentions to harm his reputation and tarnish his image.An FIR was registered against the businessman under the relevant section of the Indian Penal Code for making false charges and defamation.
The DGP had stated that he had filed a criminal complaint against Sharma and would also file a civil suit of defamation against the businessman. He had claimed that the businessman had levelled false allegations against him and several other “renowned people.”
