Probe all drug cases involving smuggling from jails: HC to DGP

The High Court here has asked the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) to depute a “very senior officer” to examine all drug cases involving “allegations of smuggling from various jails of the state”.

The direction came after Justice NS Shekhawat rapped the Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for adopting a “very casual approach” in interrogating the jail officials promoting smuggling from Amritsar Central Jail.

“It is expected that in all such cases, appropriate legal action shall be taken against the senior-most jail officials as well, who are normally spared by the police without any justification,” Justice Shekhawat asserted.

Justice Shekhawat also directed the SSP to remain present in the court along with the complete investigation record on May 16, the next date of hearing.

The admonition came during the hearing of petitions filed in three connected cases, where the accused were allegedly indulging in smuggling while confined in the central jail.

The Bench had earlier noted that such activities could not have been possible without the “active collusion” of senior jail officers and the local police.

The Bench added clear directions were issued to the SSP to personally examine the investigation file and file an affidavit explaining why jail officials had not been arrayed as an accused.

But the officer assigned the task to a DSP. The court minced no words in stating that such conduct was “on the verge of contempt”.

“Once there was a specific direction to the SSP to read the file of the case personally and to take effective steps accordingly; he could not have delegated the matter further to a DSP,” Justice Shekhawat asserted.

As the matter came up for resumed hearing, the Bench took exception to the manner in which the police were handling the probe. “It is apparent that the police of District Amritsar (Rural) have invented their own methods of investigation and the investigation was not conducted as per the mandatory provisions of the BNSS/CrPC,” Justice Shekhawat observed.

Punjab