The Indian Express ·
Crime, law and justice
Punjab court seeks status report on probe into Dalit labourer’s death
The Punjab and Haryana High Court was hearing a PIL that sought that the probe into Dalit labourer Gulzar Singh’s death be handed over to the CBI.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday sought a status report from the Punjab government on the investigation into the death of Gulzar Singh, a Dalit labourer who allegedly died by suicide after being threatened for questioning a minister about rampant drug abuse. The court was hearing a public interest litigation seeking a transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The matter came up before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor. During the hearing, the bench questioned the petitioner’s counsel on how a minister could be held responsible for Gulzar Singh’s death and named in the FIR when no role was attributed to him.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Santokhwinder Singh Nabha submitted that Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema was responsible for the circumstances leading to Gulzar Singh’s suicide.
According to the petitioner’s submissions, it was on Cheema’s orders that the local sarpanch and other accused allegedly harassed Gulzar Singh. The petitioner further submitted that the accused in the FIR were named on the basis of the deceased’s dying declaration.
The petition said that Gulzar Singh, a resident of Toorbanjara village in Sangrur district, had raised questions before Cheema regarding the alleged rampant availability and circulation of synthetic drugs, commonly referred to as “chitta”, in his locality. He had also questioned the state authorities regarding the source of such drugs and the measures being taken to curb their circulation.
The petition states that after raising these issues, Gulzar Singh allegedly faced pressure and intimidation from local political representatives. It further states that shortly before his death on September 8, after consuming a poisonous substance, he recorded and/or uploaded a video statement in which he referred to and named certain individuals, including Cheema, and made allegations concerning the circumstances in which he had allegedly been intimidated or pressured.
The petition relied on the video statement as material evidence and sought its preservation, authentication and forensic examination. It stated that the allegations made by Gulzar Singh and the persons named or referred to by him require independent investigation.
On September 8, an FIR was registered at Dirba police station in Sangrur district under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. According to the petition, the FIR was registered against Baljit Singh alias Raj, Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha Conductor, Vicky Singh, Gona Singh and Baljinder Kaur.
The petitioner has alleged that despite the video statement referring to Cheema and containing allegations against him, the minister was not named as an accused. The plea states that the omission, along with the contents of the video and circumstances preceding Gulzar Singh’s death, gives rise to an apprehension that the allegations may not be examined fully and impartially.
The petition seeks transfer of the investigation to the CBI or any other independent agency outside the administrative control of the Punjab government, stating that this would ensure a fair, impartial, transparent and independent investigation.
The bench directed the respondent’s counsel, Additional Advocate General Chanchal Singla, to file a status report regarding the investigation. The matter was adjourned to October 8.