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Ludhiana: HC seeks report from DGP over lapses in 16-yr-old case
Trial court finds no reinvestigation despite 2014 directions, rejects repeated police cancellation report
A 16-year-old criminal case from Ludhiana has come under fresh judicial scrutiny, with both a trial court and the Punjab and Haryana high court flagging serious lapses in the police investigation and seeking accountability at the highest level. The high court has now directed the Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to file a status report, putting the spotlight back on a case that has seen little progress despite repeated court directions.
The case relates to an FIR registered in 2010 on the complaint of Dr Sumeet Sofat, involving charges of attempt to murder, abduction and robbery. Despite the gravity of the allegations, the police filed a cancellation report, which has now been questioned by courts for the second time. An FIR cancellation report is a document prepared by the police to inform the court that an FIR has been cancelled
The latest development stems from an order dated February 25, 2026, in which judicial magistrate Karun Kumar observed that the fresh cancellation report submitted by the police was merely a “verbatim reproduction” of the earlier one. The court found no evidence of any fresh investigation, despite a specific direction issued in April 2014 ordering reinvestigation. It noted that there was nothing on record to show that the earlier order had been complied with.
Rejecting the report, the magistrate directed the station house officer (SHO) to file a fresh report detailing the investigation conducted after the 2014 order. The court also sought complete records, including case diaries, witness statements and evidence collected during the intervening period.
During the proceedings, the complainant alleged that no arrests had been made and key evidence—including a firearm, chloroform, a luxury watch and a vehicle—had not been recovered even after over a decade. He further claimed that the accused named in this present FIR are highly influential persons being aligned with the ruling AAP party in Punjab presently. He added that the wife of main accused Ramesh Kumar Pashan is Simmi Chopra Pashan who is chairman of social welfare board in the Punjab government and she holds this rank equivalent to the rank of a cabinet minister. That is the reason the police have not reinvestigated this matter.
Meanwhile, Dr Sofat moved a contempt of court petition before the Punjab and Haryana high court. Taking note of the matter, the high court termed the sequence of events a “sorry state of affairs.”
In an order dated March 18, 2026, justice Vikram Aggarwal directed the DGP, Punjab, to file an affidavit and submit a status report within two weeks. The court observed that the allegations pointed towards a possible attempt to protect the accused and stressed the need for an independent review at the highest level of the police hierarchy.
The case will now be heard on April 9, with the DGP’s response expected to determine the future course of the investigation.
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