Hindustan Times: Panchkula: Sunday, 24 August
2014.
The National
Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), Chandigarh, has recommended FIR against
commissioner of police, Ambala-Panchkula, Ajay Singhal for alleged harassment
and humiliation on the complaint of Dalit IPS officer Y Puran Kumar. But
Haryana director general of police (DGP) SN Vashisht wants to get an inquiry
done by vigilance.
“We will
resolve the issue internally. We have written to the government for inquiry by
vigilance,” said Vashisht during an interaction with the media at the ITBP
training centre, Bhanu, on Friday.
As per
information procured under the RTI Act, in its letter to the DGP Haryana, dated
August 5, the NCSC says, “It is to inform that on July 14, the petitioner
(Kumar) has requested for registration of FIR under SC&ST (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act, 1989, and even after the expiry of 20 days, the FIR is not
registered. It is worth to bring to your knowledge, that, a FIR is to be
registered immediately, as per recent guidelines of the Supreme Court and as per
SC&ST (PAO) Act. But in this case, the Haryana Police have not registered
the FIR, on the request of petitioner, which attracts section 4 of the Act.”
The section 4 attracts penal action against a public servant who neglects his
duties required to be performed under the SC&ST Act.
The NCSC also
called for action-taken report within a week, but it was not sent. The
recommendation of NCSC was in response to DGP Vashisht’s August 4 letter where
he informed that he had written to the Haryana government for inquiring into
the matter by the state vigilance bureau.
Earlier, KK
Sharma, additional director general of police (ADGP) administration; and BS
Sandhu, managing director, Haryana Police Housing Corporation; had already
recused from carrying out inquiry in the issue.
Singhal
did not respond to the calls and SMSes.
THE ISSUE:
While serving
as Panchkula deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Puran Kumar filed a complaint
to the DGP and the NCSC on June 17 that Singhal, who was his immediate boss,
“made personal abusive comments” on him and called him a “clerk” knowing very
well that he is an IPS officer of 2001 batch who has put in 13 years of
service. He also alleged that Singhal called him “names” in a derogatory
manner.
In his second
complaint filed on July 14, Kumar asked for transfer of Singhal from the post
of CP for allegedly threatening witnesses in the case. He further alleged that
reader to the Panchkula DCP, sub-inspector Sube Singh was threatened and
transferred, who was a witness in the case and steno in DCP office was also
harassed. He called for registration of FIR under section 3 of the SC&ST
(POA) Act against Singhal and also accused the DGP of not acting in a fair
manner.
Singhal had
written against Kumar over gherao of CM’s residence by teachers in Chandigarh.
In his letter, dated July 14, Kumar pointed out, “Singhal’s claim to have
coordinated with Chandigarh Police is part of his official duty, when he could
transfer all SHOs, inspectors, in-charge of police posts and all other police
personnel up to the rank of other ranks multiple times during his tenure, how could
he feel that it is not his duty, but only that of the Panchkula DCP to handle
an emergent law and order situation.”
Kumar had
gone on leave after he made the complaint and was then transferred.
.JPG)
.JPG)
