The one member judicial inquiry commission, headed by former Jharkhand Chief Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta, has informed through the public notice that so far 18 persons have submitted their statements and claims regarding the suspicious death of Jharkhand Police ASI Rupa Tirkey.
The public notice further states that anybody willing to cross-examine any of these persons can make a written request with the commission by October 15. It has further stated that a copy of affidavit and details of these persons can be procured from the secretary, Akhilesh Kumar Sinha.
In case nobody turn-up to cross examine the commission will hold its final meeting on November 18 at the Excise Building and a report will be submitted to the state government.
The commission was formed by the state government to ensure a fair probe in the matter at a time when Jharkhand police was also carrying out an investigation.
Twenty six year-old Rupa Tirkey was posted at Mahila police station in Sahebganj district. She was found hanging at her official quarter in the morning of May 3. While the police initially concluded it as the case of suicide it later arrested her colleague SK Kanaujia for abetment of suicide. But the family blamed their daughter was murdered by some influential persons and moved a petition for the CBI probe at Jharkhand High Court.
The single bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi ordered the CBI probe and the CBI has takenover the investigation also.
Now the question is being raised whether the inquiry being carried by the judicial commission legally stands when the CBI has already started the probe.
“I don't know if the probe commission still exists because the CBI is investigating the case so there can’t be any parallel prob. Also under CRPC such an inquiry commission has no that kind of status. To my knowledge, in criminal cases like this judicial inquiry can’t be ordered,” said Rajiv Kumar, lawyer of Jharkhand High Court.
Meanwhile, in another development, the CBI is likely to question the then Sahebganj DSP (headquarter) Sanjay Kumar who for a short duration had headed SIT which was investigating the Rupa Tirkey case. He was transferred to Giridih.