Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 20: High Court today directed Director General of Police to file an affidavit with regard to deployment of police personnel with Kewal Sharma, the then PRO to the then Deputy Chief Minister.
The affidavit shall contain the names of police personnel along with their ID Nos. and Wings to which they belong to and the particulars of their controlling officers who relieved them for deployment with Kewal Sharma, the High Court said, adding the DGP should also give information with regard to officers, who issued telephonic instructions for deployment of police personnel.
The direction was passed by Justice Bansi Lal Bhat, in a petition filed by Prof SK Bhalla. When the petition came up for hearing, Advocate S S Ahmed along with Advocates Rahul Raina and Suraj Singh, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that Police Department was intentionally concealing the facts.
On this, Justice Bhat observed, “affidavit has been filed by Additional Secretary to Government, Home Department in regard to deployment of guards and PSOs on the strength of seven persons only to Kewal Sharma”.
“As per the affidavit, no report has so far been received from the Director General of Police. However, District Police Jammu has informed that one man was deployed on PSO duty on 03.12.2011 and 4 men were deployed on guard duty on 27.07.2013 with Kewal Sharma, PRO to the then Deputy CM”, High Court observed, adding “the deployment of these officials was made on the verbal directions of senior officers issued telephonically and that there is no written record to this effect”.
“It has been further informed that the strength was reduced from 4 to 3 in respect of guard duty, however, 4 men were deployed on PSO duty with Kewal Sharma. At present, no PSO/Guard is being provided to Kewal Sharma by District Police Jammu”, Justice Bhat further observed, adding “it emerges from this affidavit that the District Police has not provided the details of Police Officers under whose orders, police personnel were deployed with Kewal Sharma. It further emerges from the affidavit that the Director General of Police has been approached twice to indicate the names of police personnel along with ID Nos. and Wings to which they belong and also the particulars of their controlling officers, who relieved them for deployment with Kewal Sharma. However, the reply has not been provided”.
Upon this, court directed Director General of Police to file an affidavit in regard to deployment of police personnel with Kewal Sharma within a period of two weeks.
Justice Bhat further observed, “it further appears that Commissioner Secretary GAD has not filed the status report in regard to action taken with respect to allegations of accumulation of assets by Kewal Sharma”, adding “my attention has been invited to the status report dated January 27, 2015 mentioning that the matter was forwarded to State Vigilance Organization”.
“It is, therefore imperative that Commissioner Secretary Home and Commissioner Secretary GAD be directed to file updated status report in regard to the action taken by State Vigilance Organization within two weeks”, Justice Bhat said.
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