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Ex-DGP Chattopadhyaya trains guns on PCA chief Chandra
Former director general of police (DGP) Sidharth Chattopadhyaya has accused Police Complaints Authority (PCA) chairman Satish Chandra for having “a biased and illegal attitude” while replying to the explanation served to him in connection with ‘shoddy probe’ into allegations of custodial rape and extortion against assistant inspector general of police (AIG) Ashish Kapoor.
Chandigarh: Former director general of police (DGP) Sidharth Chattopadhyaya has accused Police Complaints Authority (PCA) chairman Satish Chandra for having “a biased and illegal attitude” while replying to the explanation served to him in connection with ‘shoddy probe’ into allegations of custodial rape and extortion against assistant inspector general of police (AIG) Ashish Kapoor.
Kapoor is currently in judicial custody after being arrested by vigilance bureau in a case of corruption of ₹1 crore on October 6.
In his reply (accessed by HT) to special secretary (home), Chattopadhyaya said a clarification has been sought from him on the basis of an assumption that no opinion was sought from the Director, Bureau of Investigation (BoI), in the probe which gave Kapoor a clean chit.
“The fact of the matter is that SK Asthana was Director BoI at that time. As he was on leave, an IG-rank officer, holding the charge, duly approved the SIT report and forwarded the same to me. It’s clearly evident that either Chandra has not seen the file that mentions all these things,” said Chattopadhyaya.
Apart from Chattopadhyaya, the home department had sought an explanation from five police officers, including two senior IPS officers and a retired DGP, who were part of the special investigation team (SIT) that looked into allegations against Kapoor. Four officers, including special DGP Sharad Satya Chauhan, ADGP Vibhu Raj, PPS officer Ramandeep Singh and inspector Bhagwant Singh Riar, were indicted by the PCA for “conducting the probe without applying their minds in order to delay and obstruct justice to a victim of custodial rape and extortion, thereby helping an accused AIG”. Chattopadhyaya was indicted for “not applying his mind” to the SIT report that gave AIG a clean chit.
Recently, the Kapoor case had found a mention during the row over reparation of Chandigarh SSP Kuldeep Chahal, with Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator Banwarilal Purohit stating that he had mentioned about the case to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. The governor pointed out that he wrote a letter to Mann about custodial rape and extortion complaint against Kapoor. “The complaint was made by AAP’s Amritsar North MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh who was then Punjab IG and I am pained to learn that no concrete action was taken on that complaint,” the governor wrote.
“Chandra should be probed as a witness”
According to the PCA, the SIT report was presented to Chattopadhyaya on December 23, 2021, and on the same day, he consigned the report to the records without caring to consult the BOI. Chattopadhyaya, in his reply, said when the complaints were filed before various authorities, Chandra, who was officiating as additional chief secretary (home), had dealt with them.
“Kunwar Vijay, who was probing the case as IG organised crime control unit (OCCU), had been communicating with Chandra, the then ACS (home). Therefore, if any administrative inefficiency or lapse is pointed out, be it in the investigation, the decision to constitute the SIT, forwarding of complaints from the home department to DGP, Punjab, or vice versa, etc all was done with the approval of then ACS (home) Chandra. Hence, he is equally liable to be questioned as a witness, to establish any administrative lapse or inefficiency,” Chattopadhyaya wrote in his reply.
“What is surprising is that Chandra has concealed the fact as to was posted as ACS (home). This has been done by him intentionally as he was well aware that had he mentioned his name at any stage, he could not have dealt with the file in the capacity of the chairperson, PCA. Therefore, the findings given by Chandra are illegal, being in violation of the principles of natural justice,” Chattopadhyaya alleged.
Chattopadhyaya is suffering from memory loss: Chandra
Chandra on his part, said: “At least Chattopadhyaya should remember that the day the SIT probe was filed, I was not the home secretary. I had retired around one and a half years back. It appears that he is suffering from complete memory loss.”
During a visit to the Central Jail in Patiala in 2019, Kunwar Vijay had got a written representation from the victim who alleged “custodial rape” by AIG Kapoor when he was posted as superintendent at Amritsar central jail. The representation had also alleged that the complainant and three members of her family were wrongly convicted by a Dera Bassi court in an FIR registered at the behest of Kapoor.
