ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
BEFORE : RAMESH SINHA AND MAHESH CHANDRA TRIPATHI, JJ.
NIPENDRA SINGH - Petitioner
Versus
STATE OF U.P. AND OTHERS - Respondents
(Criminal Misc. Writ Petition No. 7365 of 2017, decided on 22nd May, 2017)
Counsel :
Braham Singh and Sushil Kumar Tiwari for the Petitioner; A.G.A., Lav Srivastava, V.P. Srivastava and Sharad Sharma for the Respondents.
Headnote:Transfer investigation—Independent Agency—Once this is admitted situation that there was undue pressure exerted by MLA on I.O. of case to submit F.R., then High Court do not approve such transfer order—High Court deprecate such practice wherein Ministers or Members of Legislative Assembly intervene in on-going investigation and they have no right to call or intervene—Direction issued.
Petition Disposed of.
1. We have heard Shri Braham Singh, learned counsel for the petitioner; Shri A.K. Sand, Additional Government Advocate for the State and Shri V.P. Srivastava, Senior Advocate assisted by Shri Lav Srivastava for respondent no.4.
2. Nipendra Singh has filed the present writ petition for following reliefs:-
"a. to issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus transferring the investigation of the case vide Case Crime No.703 of 2016 under Section 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC, Police Station Civil Lines, District Rampur to some other independent Investigating Agency of some other district;
b. to issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus commanding the respondents to arrest the accused persons of the present case so that they could not influence/win over the witnesses of the present case;
c. to issue any other writ, order or direction which this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper under the circumstances of the case;
d. to award the cost of the writ petition to the petitioner."
3. Initially the matter was taken up on 5.5.2017 and the Court had proceeded to pass a detailed order whereby notices were issued to respondent no.4 through Chief Secretary of the State of U. P. asking him to file his response by the next date fixed in the matter. The relevant portion of the order is reproduced herein below:-
"In these circumstances the petitioner has no hope to get justice from the police of police Rampur, hence, the investigation of the case be transferred to some other Investigating Officer of some other district of U.P.
The averments which have been made by the petitioner in the writ petition particularly para nos. 38, 39, 40 and 41 appears to be alarming one, prima facie, it appears that the contention of the petitioner has substance.
Let a notice be issued to respondent no. 4 through Chief Secretary of the State of U. P., who may file counter affidavit by the next date in the matter regarding averments made against him in the petition filed by the petitioner.
Learned counsel for the petitioner shall also take necessary steps forthwith for service of notice to respondent no. 4.
The Chief Secretary of the State of U.P. is also directed to place the copy of this order before Hon'ble The Chief Minister of the State for necessary information within three days from receiving of the certified copy of this order by the Registrar General of this Court and Chief Secretary of the State shall file his personal affidavit regarding the same by the next date.
The Superintendent of Police, Rampur is also directed to appear in person before this Court and show cause as to why the then Investigating Officer Sri Rajendra Prasad, who was In-charge Inspector of Crime Branch investigating the case under the orders of D.I.G., Moradabad has been transferred to Police Lines, Rampur.
The Registrar General of this Court is directed to send certified copy of this order to Chief Secretary Secretary, D.G.P., U.P. Lucknow as well as S.P. Rampur for its compliance forthwith.
List the matter on 22nd May, 2017."
4. In compliance of the directives so issued by this Court on 5.5.2017, affidavits of compliance on behalf of Shri Rahul Bhatnagar, Chief Secretary, Government of U.P.; Keshav Kumar Chaudhary, the then Superintendent of Police, Rampur presently posted as Superintendent of Police, Railways, Moradabad and the Superintendent of Police, Rampur namely Shri Vipin Tada and counter affidavit on behalf of respondent no.4 namely Baldev Singh Aulakh have been filed today in Court and the same are taken on record.
5. Brief background of the case is that the petitioner had lodged a first information report against accused persons on 24.10.2016 and the same was registered under the directions of Superintendent of Police, Rampur as Case Crime No.703 of 2016 under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC, Police Station Civil Lines, Rampur. It has also been complained that the investigating officer neither recorded the statement of the petitioner und