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HC issues notice to Punjab, Haryana in case of Hoshiarpur man’s death in police firing
40-year-old was killed in Amritsar district on December 8 last year after he allegedly snatched an SUV in Ambala district
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice of motion to the governments of Punjab and Haryana as well as the Punjab Police in the case of death of a 40-year-old Hoshiarpur man in police firing in Amritsar district on December 8 last year.
The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) probing the case was also served the notice and the next date of hearing has been fixed on July 12.
Inderjit Singh, who was accused of snatching an SUV from a man in Haryana’s Ambala district, was killed in firing by a team of the crime investigation agency (CIA) unit of the Amritsar commissionerate police. The cops had claimed that they opened firing at the tyres of the vehicle after the accused tried to run over them.
The victim’s family has filed a petition in the high court seeking a CBI probe into the case, expressing their dissatisfaction over the ongoing inquiry by SDM (Amritsar 1) Vikas Hira, saying it was deliberately being delayed under pressure of senior police officials.
The commissionerate team allegedly started the operation without taking the district rural police into the loop as the area falls in the latter’s jurisdiction.
“The police team smashed the windshield on the driver’s side and opened direct fire at my brother. They also deleted the CCTV footage of the Manawala toll plaza. Some farmers’ mobile phones wherein they shot videos of the incident were also confiscated by the police,” said victim’s brother Maninder Pal in the petition.
₹15 lakh cash was given to the wife and two children of his brother as “compensation” by the accused policemen, he claimed. “During the magisterial inquiry, no concrete steps were taken to collect necessary material, information or evidence,” the petition reads.
Advocate Sarabjit Singh Verka said, “ ₹15 lakh cash was deposited in the bank accounts of the victim’s family. This is bribe in clear violation of the rules. It’s a very serious issue and should be probed thoroughly.”
Also, the SDM enquiring into the death has missed the three-month deadline for probe completion. SDM Vikas Hira had started the probe two days after the death.
“The probe could not be completed as we are waiting for some scientific reports related to the case. Also, I got no information from the family about the transaction of ₹15 lakh by the accused,” Hira said.
