Criticising Haryana for being lenient with the vigilante groups, Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday, handed over the investigation of a disappearance case of a youngster, who went missing on March 5, after he had gone to buy a buffalo from Shahabad, to the CBI.
The orders came soon after Justice Fateh Deep Singh ruled that even senior police functionaries were hand-in-glove with “vigilante group” Gau Raksha Dal “obviously to achieve sinister design”.
The orders came on a petition filed by Tahir Hasan against the State of Haryana, wherein petitioner has said that his son left for Shahabad to purchase a buffalo for meeting “domestic needs”, but never returned. The youngster was allegedly found dead later.
The warrant officer appointed by the High Court in this case had indicated in his report that on intervening night of March 5 and 6, Gau Raksha Dal members confronted a vehicle carrying cattle.
The members of Gau Raksha Dal blocked the road, leading to firing of shots. The occupants of the vehicle ran away, following which FIR under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and Section 307 of the IPC was registered on March 6 at Shahabad police station.
Taking strong exception on the registration of the case, Justice Fateh Deep Singh in his order said that the attitude of senior police officers on report being lodged was itself suggestive of police role in the episode. Apparently, even the District Magistrate failed to perform his duties. Mere assumption that the vehicle occupants were committing cruelty to animals by transporting them was wholly unjustified.
In an early order in the matter, Justice Fateh Deep Singh had said that the local administration and police was allowing the unleashing of terror on persons carrying trade in animals. The Judge noted that the Court had earlier also noticed that “such like groups were bent upon circumventing law and fleecing poor persons ferrying animals, be it for personal or domestic use or otherwise”. Such incidents were not uncommon in Haryana, observed the court.
The HC observed, “Apparently a precious human life has been lost or done away with and which the local police and the administration in spite of being in knowledge of, are trying to hoodwink the law and rather acting as an impediment in its smooth implementation of due process of law”.
Handing over the probe to CBI the court said, “There was a feigned attempt to wash hands off vigilante groups having local police backing. As such, the Court had every apprehension that the local police would not only circumvent the law, but also not carry out fair and impartial investigation.”