IG didn’t breach poll code: Capt to EC

Thursday, 11/04/2019

http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora seeking review of the election commission order relieving inspector general of police (IGP) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh as a member of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents.

In his letter to Arora, the CM said the SIT, including Kunwar Vijay Pratap, was carrying out its legal mandate of fair and transparent investigation, which was an ongoing statutory process under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and was not affected by the model code of conduct.

He said there was no “breach” of the model code of conduct by Kunwar Vijay Pratap in giving an interview to the media which the EC had described as “politically motivated”, leading to his transfer. There was nothing untoward or unusual about an investigating team communicating with the press, the CM said “such briefings by investigating agencies are now a matter of norm and practice in the interest of transparency and public awareness.”

“Even premier investigating agencies such as the CBI have a duly appointed press spokesperson and releases are issued from time to time and uploaded on the website,” said Amarinder.

The entire tone and tenor of the complaint on which the EC had acted were the precise allegations made before the high court in writ petitions seeking transfer of the investigation to the CBI, and had been duly rejected the court, which had reposed full faith in the present SIT.

The CM further pointed out in his letter that the formation of the SIT had not been the political whim of the present government but had a defined legal history.

The SIT was formed after a resolution in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha withdrawing the investigation from CBI and deciding to entrust it to a five-member SIT.

“Kuwar Vijay Pratap was not only a high ranking, decorated and senior officer, but also a seasoned and responsible investigator, who had held crucial assignments through successive and different governments. Given his vast experience he is not likely to and has in fact, in the present case, not breached the Model Code of Conduct,” the CM added.

“.... the election commission may reconsider and review its’ decision dated April 5 to the extent that it ordered relieving of the said officer from his present post, as it would cause interference in an ongoing investigation,” said Amarinder.