Chandigarh December 14:
The acquittal of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and his mother Surinder Kaur by a Mohali district court in a disproportionate asset case has come under cloud, as the supervisor officer in the case, Inspector General of Police BK Uppal, submitted that the defence counsel and the public prosecutor were batting for the accused.
"Both the defence and the prosecution were batting for the accused. Even the special judge failed in his job to ensure the surfacing of the truth," stated Uppal in an appeal filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Uppal claimed that the witnesses were allowed to reside comfortably under the eyes of the presiding officer and no attempt was made to confront them with their statements made during investigation, properly.
Uppal added that "halfhearted attempt" made in some cases was only to help the accused, rather than further the case of the prosecution. Even the special judge failed in his job to ensure that the truth must surface, he added. Projecting himself as the 'fall guy' in the entire matter, Uppal said that the role of the investigating officer Surinder Pal Singh was also not put under the scanner. Surinder Pal Singh was properly examined and was made a scapegoat without even assessing the scope of his official assignment and supervisory role, he added.
Uppal's revelations come just over two months after a Mohali court acquitted the Badals. Uppal has gone upto the extent of saying that special judge chose to acquit the accused hurriedly and "the case is not one of absolutely no evidence". Additionally, he stated, the special judge did not even bother to record the statements of the accused under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and acquitted the accused hurriedly, although "the case is not such which could be said to be one of absolutely no evidence on record, which the accused were required to answer".
"The evidence led by the prosecution definitely proved certain important allegations leveled against the accused, which would be required to be put to the accused under Section 313 of the CrPC, which seems to have been obviated in a hurry to finish the matter," Uppal said. Taking up the matter, the Bench of Justice Jaswant Singh adjourned it for the next hearing on December 21 without issuing notice to any of the respondents, entailing that the Court has so far not taken even prima facie cognisance of the allegations leveled by Uppal.
The acquittal of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and his mother Surinder Kaur by a Mohali district court in a disproportionate asset case has come under cloud, as the supervisor officer in the case, Inspector General of Police BK Uppal, submitted that the defence counsel and the public prosecutor were batting for the accused.
"Both the defence and the prosecution were batting for the accused. Even the special judge failed in his job to ensure the surfacing of the truth," stated Uppal in an appeal filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Uppal claimed that the witnesses were allowed to reside comfortably under the eyes of the presiding officer and no attempt was made to confront them with their statements made during investigation, properly.
Uppal added that "halfhearted attempt" made in some cases was only to help the accused, rather than further the case of the prosecution. Even the special judge failed in his job to ensure that the truth must surface, he added. Projecting himself as the 'fall guy' in the entire matter, Uppal said that the role of the investigating officer Surinder Pal Singh was also not put under the scanner. Surinder Pal Singh was properly examined and was made a scapegoat without even assessing the scope of his official assignment and supervisory role, he added.
Uppal's revelations come just over two months after a Mohali court acquitted the Badals. Uppal has gone upto the extent of saying that special judge chose to acquit the accused hurriedly and "the case is not one of absolutely no evidence". Additionally, he stated, the special judge did not even bother to record the statements of the accused under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and acquitted the accused hurriedly, although "the case is not such which could be said to be one of absolutely no evidence on record, which the accused were required to answer".
"The evidence led by the prosecution definitely proved certain important allegations leveled against the accused, which would be required to be put to the accused under Section 313 of the CrPC, which seems to have been obviated in a hurry to finish the matter," Uppal said. Taking up the matter, the Bench of Justice Jaswant Singh adjourned it for the next hearing on December 21 without issuing notice to any of the respondents, entailing that the Court has so far not taken even prima facie cognisance of the allegations leveled by Uppal.
