Chandigarh, July 24: The Punjab and Haryana High Court summoned Senior Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Bureau, Patiala, over holding of inquiries on complaints without the registration of FIRs in violation of the law laid by the Supreme Court.
Court further directed him to remain present before the court on the next date of hearing.
Justice N.S. Shekhawat asked him to file his personal affidavit detailing complaints pending in all the police stations of Patiala Range for more than two weeks where the inquiry/investigation was being conducted without FIRs registration.
Among other things, it was stated the police was, in a large number of cases, found to have resorted to ordering inquiries at various levels. But there was no provision for such inquiries when the information provided disclosed the commission of a cognizable offence, according to case law decided by the Supreme Court and the high court.
The only requirement was that the lodged information must provide a basis for the police officer to suspect the commission of a cognizable offence. Once this condition was satisfied, the registration of an FIR under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code became a statutory requirement.
The matter has been listed up for further hearing on July 29.
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