Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed Punjab authorities to complete the probe into a sexual exploitation complaint against an SP-rank police officer within three weeks and pass a reasoned and speaking order.
The directions came while disposing of a petition seeking registration of an FIR, transfer of the case to an independent agency or constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), along with protection for the complainant.
The court instructed the state to conclude the inquiry “within three weeks from today” in accordance with law and take necessary action based on its findings.
It further said that if no substance is found in the allegations, the petitioner must be informed as per legal provisions.
According to the petition, the complainant alleged that the officer misled her on the pretext of marriage and later subjected her to sexual exploitation, rape and forced abortion. She also claimed that no FIR was registered despite her complaint.
During the hearing, the state submitted that the complaint had already been forwarded to the Bureau of Investigation and was being probed under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police, Faridkot Range, with assurance that the inquiry would be completed within the stipulated time.
The bench of Justice Shalini Singh Nagpal noted an “extraordinary delay of 12 years” in filing the complaint.
However, the court observed that there was nothing on record to suggest that the probe was not being conducted fairly, expressing confidence that the investigating agency would carry out the inquiry in an independent and unbiased manner.
