HC seeks CCTV footage of police station

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12

The Punjab Police is in dock in an alleged illegal detention case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for the CCTV footage of camera installed in a police station.

The SHO of the police station concerned has been asked to file a personal affidavit. He has also been asked to explain why the FIR registered against the detainee should not be quashed.

The directions came after Justice Kuldip Singh of the high court observed that possibility could not be ruled out of police implicating the detainee after the Bench appointed a warrant officer for searching him out.

The developments took place on a petition filed by Sunita Devi against the State of Punjab and other respondents through counsel APS. Tung. As the matter came up for resumed hearing, a sub-inspector appeared in the court in response to directions issued to the SHO of the Machhiwara police station in Khanna district. The sub-inspector told the court that the FIR under the Excise Act was registered against the detainee before the warrant officer’s arrival.

Justice Kuldip Singh asserted: “The order of appointment of the warrant officer was signed around 3 pm at the residence of the undersigned. The FIR in question was registered under the Excise Act at 4.30 pm. It stated that 30 bottles of country-made illicit liquor were recovered….

“Therefore, there is a strong possibility that the SHO got wind of the order passed by this court and before the warrant officer could reach from Chandigarh to Machhiwara… The police got sufficient time and registered the FIR under the Excise Act.

“Let the SHO file a reply by way of his personal affidavit along with the copy of DDR and FIR within two weeks and to show cause why the FIR registered against the detenue under the Excise Act should not be quashed. Let the CCTV footage of the camera be also produced along with the reply.”