Finding the stand of the Haryana DGP as a “deliberate attempt to create a maze by mischievous use of expression and filing misleading affidavits” regarding compliance of directions of Supreme Court (SC) for installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations, the Punjab and Haryana high court has referred the DGP’s affidavit to apex court for consideration.
The court observed that even though the office of Haryana DGP made an attempt to initially portray CCTV cameras had been installed at all places by using the word “police stations” mischievously, only on being confronted did it acknowledge that CCTV cameras were not bound to be installed at all investigation cells — such as CIA, EOW and IT cells, which may be and are used as interrogation rooms — as they are not notified as police stations.
“This court would have ordinarily proceeded against the top police officers of the state for deliberately creating a maze by mischievous use of expression and filing of misleading affidavits before this court; however, in the fitness of things and considering judicial discipline since the SC is also seized of the matter, I deem it appropriate at this juncture to keep proceedings for contempt against the DGP in abeyance and am of the view that the matter needs to be brought to the notice of the SC bench dealing with the enforcement of the order in the case titled Paramvir Singh Saini,” the HC ordered.
The HC directed the registrar general of the HC to send a copy of the order along with affidavits filed by the DGP, Haryana, to the SC. The registrar general of the SC has also been requested to bring this order to the notice of the bench of the SC for passing appropriate orders.
On a previous date of hearing, the HC had issued contempt notices to the Haryana DGP to show cause why contempt proceedings be not taken against him for wilful disobedience of orders passed by the SC.
Responding to the contempt notice, an affidavit was filed by DGP, stating that as the matter relates to disobedience of direction of the SC, if any, the contempt proceedings for non-compliance of the order of the SC cannot be initiated before or by HC. On this, the HC has ordered to send the matter to apex court.
Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj passed these orders while hearing a petition filed by Ram Singh. The case was initially filed by the petitioner to inquire into an incident dated Aug 2, 2022, whereby a minor, his grandson, was illegally detained and tortured, beaten and threatened at CIA-2 police station in Panipat’s Anaj Mandi for extracting information regarding his father who has allegedly been falsely implicated in an FIR related to attempt to murder and other charges.
It was during the hearing of this case, HC found that Panipat police and DGP had not complied with SC directions regarding installation of CCTV cameras.