Chandigarh, 3 December 24: Less than two weeks after the Punjab Police faced criticism for using “novel and extra-legal methods” to conduct inquiries without registering FIRs, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has described the issue as a grim reflection of policing practices.
Chief Justice Sheel Nagu directed the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) to clarify whether the practice of conducting preliminary inquiries to assess allegations before registering FIRs has been discontinued, and if not, to provide reasons. The DGP was also asked to outline steps taken against officers who deviated from statutory procedures.
The directions came while hearing a petition seeking the registration of a murder case against Baba Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale. Filed by counsels Navneet Kaur Waraich, Amarjot Kaur, and Manpreet Singh Bhatti, the plea highlighted lapses in handling an earlier complaint.
Referring to the case, Chief Justice Nagu remarked, “The incident illustrates a sorry state of affairs where, instead of registering an FIR based on the complainant’s information on May 24, 2012, regarding an alleged rape and murder, the police undertook an unconstitutional inquiry to verify the allegations.”
Citing Section 154 of the CrPC, Justice Nagu emphasized the police’s statutory obligation to promptly register an FIR upon receiving information about cognizable offences. The court criticized the practice of delaying FIRs under the guise of preliminary inquiries.
The state counsel argued that the inquiry was conducted to verify the allegations before taking further action. Statements from the complainant’s relatives were recorded, and the matter was subsequently closed with senior officers’ approval. However, the petitioner later lodged another complaint with the DGP on October 1, reiterating the allegations of rape and murder from May 2012.
The court instructed the DGP to file an affidavit detailing the status of the case and compliance with statutory procedures. The Bench scheduled the next hearing for December 9.
