The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday reserved its judgment on pleas from two former Punjab director general of police (DGPs), who are opposing the opening of a sealed cover report by another former DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya on the ‘role of cops’ in drugs probe cases submitted by him in 2018.
The petitioners former DGPs Suresh Arora and Dinkar Gupta, who is now chief of the National Investigative Agency (NIA), are opposing opening of this report arguing that Chattopadhyaya chose to make ‘wild and baseless allegations’ with a view to gain an unfair advantage at the commencement of professional race in 2018-2019 when the process for selection of new DGP was to start. Both Gupta and Chattopadhyaya were in the race for the top post in 2018-19. Gupta succeeded then DGP Arora in 2019.
The controversy is about the opening of the ‘fourth report’ submitted by Chattopadhyaya in his ‘individual capacity’ in a sealed cover. The report was submitted on the issue of the role of cops in the probes against the drug menace in Punjab in 2018. While three reports were signed by all three SIT members led by Chattopadhyaya. One report was filed by him alone and others had disassociated themselves from it. The three reports opened so far do not talk about any ‘role’ played by Arora or Gupta. The fourth report lies in a sealed cover in the high court.