[Illegal Liquor Transportation] Higher Officers Attempted To Save Police Official Who Was Guilty Of Serious Misconduct: P&H HC Summons Haryana SP

The Punjab & Haryana High Court today, said that higher police officers had made every attempt to save a police official allegedly involved in a case of transportation of huge amounts of illegal liquor from Punjab to Gujarat.

Justice N.S. Shekhawat said, "Apparently, this Court has reasons to believe that every attempt has been made by the higher police officers to save a police official, who is guilty of serious misconduct."

The Court noted that as per the FIR, a police party in Haryana found that a truck was loaded with a huge quantity of unauthorized liquor, and it was being illegally transported from Punjab to Gujarat. Furthermore, the Truck was escorted by two more cars.

"Shockingly, two of the occupants of the said vehicles were employees of Chandigarh police," the Court remarked.

The Court was hearing a plea for pre-arrest bail under Section 438 CrPC of an accused, in FIR under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B, 482, 483, 484, 476, and 465 of IPC and the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 (Haryana amended Bill 2020), at Haryana's Mahendergarh.

During the argument, the Court found that the truck allegedly carrying illegal liquor had passed through a toll plaza and the said toll plaza was under CCTV surveillance.

It has also been brought to the notice of the Court that several CCTV cameras have been installed by the National Highway Authority of India on the entire highway, where the truck was found with the two vehicles.

The State counsel submitted that inadvertently, the initial investigation of the case was conducted by ASI Naresh Kumar, who did not obtain CCTV footage of the aforesaid vehicles from the concerned toll plazas, and only a show cause notice had been issued to the said police official.

Justice Shekhawat noted that the recovery of CCTV footage from various cameras, which had been installed on the entire highway and the toll plazas, could have conclusively proved the offense in the present case and was the most vital piece of evidence in the present case.

Surprisingly, no efforts were made by the police to collect the most material piece of evidence and now the police officials are apparently trying to help the accused in the present case, the judge said.

While listing the case for February 28, the Court directed the Superintendent of Police, Mahendergarh, to remain personally present.

Title: ANIL VS STATE OF HARYANA

Keshav Pratap Singh, Advocate for the petitioner.

Rajinder Kumar Banku, DAG, Haryana.

Click here to read/download the order