The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing Ruby Choudhary case, seems to be dithering to question, not to speak of arresting, the lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (lBSNAA) deputy director Saurabh Jain who was allegedly bribed into facilitating her around seven-month clandestine stay in the academy.
This may be because, as a senior police official said, Jain is a distinguished person holding an exalted status in the country’s officialdom.
“If they are not acting there is a reason. Jain is not one of the common run of men. He is an IAS and while dealing with such a person, it is natural that the probe team members are reverential,” the senior cop said, citing a queer logic.
Observers opine that the logic affronts the essence of the system of justice.
“A person enjoying a special status can be given reverential treatment at the peril of the system of justice itself. In case, the accusation slapped by Ruby have even an iota of substance there is no reason why he should be treated differently from other accused in the case. When SIT says they have some evidences to frame him in the case they should not procrastinate over whether he enjoys a special status. If things happen this way this would be travesty of justice,” an observer said.
State Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sidhu said that SIT had recorded Choudhary’s statement before the judicial magistrate on Wednesday. Her statement was recorded under section 164 of CrPC before the magistrate. The statements of academy officials, including those of the deputy director Jain, will be recorded soon, he added.
He further said that teams had earlier visited the academy and collected evidences like computer hardwares, academy’s entry gate register, CCTV footages, video recordings and other relevant matters from the academy premises.
Such evidences would help the teams to get further leads in the investigation, he added.
“Now the investigation being almost completed as far as Ruby Choudhary is concerned, it is time for SIT to focus the probe on the academy officials,” he said, adding that the academy officials are co-operating with the SIT.
A case under Sections 420/467/468/471 of the IPC was lodged against Choudhary in the Mussoorie Police Station on April 2 evening. DGP had expressed hope three or four days after the case had come to light that it would be cleared in two/ three days. However, things are still murky with a fortnight having elapsed since the case came up.
Moreover, investigation revealed that Ruby Choudhary kept on changing her statements. “This was perhaps meant to muddle things further. However, SIT will start probing the case freshly on the basis of the statement she recorded before the judicial magistrate on Wednesday,” a police official said.
Earlier, Choudhary had alleged that Saurabh Jain, an IAS officer and deputy director of lBSNAA, had helped her to stay there for a hefty amount of money.
She had further said police were shielding Jain. However, a few days later, she refused to drag his name in the case, owning responsibility on herself.