J&K court orders inquiry against police officer for ‘shoddy’ probe in UAPA case

A magistrate on Tuesday ordered a departmental inquiry against a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police for conducting investigation in a “very perfunctory and unprofessional manner” in a case related to ten alleged underground workers of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in Kishtwar district.

Framing charges against seven of the ten accused men and discharging the three others, third additional sessions judge, Jammu, Sunit Gupta, who also hears NIA cases, “strongly recommended” initiation of a departmental inquiry against DySP Sunny Singh — the investigating officer of the case.

He should be asked as to “why and under what circumstances, he had not collected the real evidence” against accused and “left out important aspects” of the case, Justice Gupta said.

“Before parting, I would like to register my reservations and dissatisfaction against the investigating officer of the present case who appeared to have conducted investigation in a very perfunctory and unprofessional manner,’’ the judge observed, adding that the “quality of investigation nowhere speaks that it has been conducted by a gazetted officer of the rank of DySP”.

In support of his observation, the judge pointed out that despite clear allegations against accused of harbouring categorised terrorists and providing them weapons, the investigating officer did not bother to seize any of the accused’s mobile phones, or collect their call data records (CDRs) to establish their links with categorised terrorists.

“I am quite surprised how Sunny Gupta has qualified the administrative examination of the state and become Dy.SP in the police department, as I have not been able to find him suitable in the basic intellect of the person’’.