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Ludhiana: Theft of case file : FIR registered against lawyer on court’s orders
The issue was started with the theft of a computer screen and a case file from the a court employee’s office in the new court complex on February 27, 2022; the Division Number 5 police had lodged an FIR against an unidentified accused
A local court on Friday rejected a report in which the police declared one of the accused in a theft case “innocent” and ordered the cops to lodge an FIR against a lawyer, who was declared a proclaimed offender by the court in 2022. The court in the orders mentioned that as per well entrenched law, a magistrate cannot turn a blind eye to the shoddy investigation conducted by the police and certainly has got ample powers to monitor the investigation and ensure that the same is carried out fairly, impartially and in a proper way.
Following the court order the Division Number 5 police lodged an FIR under Section 174 A (non-appearance in response to a proclamation) of IPC against a lawyer Hardyal Inder Singh Grewal, who was declared a proclaimed offender by the court on July 14, 2022. In an order issued on July 20, 2022, the court had ordered the police to lodge a fresh FIR against the lawyer for proclamation, however the action was delayed as the lawyer had moved to Punjab and Haryana high court and then the Supreme Court.
The issue was started with the theft of a computer screen and a case file from the a court employee’s office in the new court complex on February 27, 2022. The Division Number 5 police had lodged an FIR against an unidentified accused. After scanning the CCTVs installed in the court complex the police traced and arrested an accused Chetan Kumar. During interrogation, Chetan disclosed that record lifter Deepak Dogra had given him money and a saw blade to cut off the lock. He had handed over the case file and computer Screen to Dogra. While the computer screen was recovered from Dogra, he claimed that the case file was handed over to the lawyer Hardyal Inder Singh Grewal, who further sent the file to a salon owner at Pakhowal Road. Later, the lawyer was nominated in the case.
Following the information the police recovered the case file from the salon. The police on April 29, 2022, had submitted a chargesheet in the court against Chetan and Deepak Dogra. Meanwhile, the lawyer moved an application to commissioner of police seeking investigation. The investigation was marked to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP, investigation). The police on May 19, 2022, submitted a report in favour of the lawyer declaring him innocent. However, the court rejected the report and passed order declaring him a proclaimed offender.
Meanwhile, the lawyer moved to Punjab and Haryana HC and then the Supreme Court. The police lodged an FIR after availing legal opinion from district attorney (legal), who in his report mentioned that there is no specific order has been by the Supreme Court to stop the operation of the orders of the local court in which directions were issued to initiate proceedings under sections 174-A of IPC.
Sub-inspector Balwant Singh, SHO at Division number 5 police, stated that the FIR has been lodged following the court orders.
