Punjab: HC directs SSP Ferozepur to inquire into derogatory emails against judicial officers.

Source – indianexpress.com

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered SSP Ferozepur to conduct an inquiry and find out whether a 63-year-old resident of the district, who is facing a criminal contempt case, himself is responsible for sending regular complaints to the high court or someone else is using his email.

The multiple communications purportedly sent by him allegedly include derogatory words and allegations against judicial officers and former HC judges.

“It would be in the interest of justice to direct Senior Superintendent of Police, Ferozepur to conduct a fact-finding inquiry himself or to depute any other technical expert to ascertain as to whether the emails/letters/written communications have been sent by the contemner himself from his e-mail or by any other person,” reads an order passed by the division bench of Justices Daya Chaudhary and Meenakshi I. Mehta.

In November 2017, High Court had initiated contempt proceedings against Ravinder Kumar Singal for his alleged “interference in the process of administration of justice” during pendency of anticipatory bail pleas of accused in the multi-crore Punjab irrigation scam and particularly after the record revealed that he had been habitual of making complaints against judicial officers of subordinate judiciary, HC judges and officials, police officials and revenue officials since 1993. The accused had made at least 400 complaints or applications and many of them were found to be false.

In response to a specific query from the court regarding the number of e-mails and hand-written letters sent by him, Singal has admitted that only some of them have been written by him. Singal also has sought an apology from the court for sending the communications and also pleaded for mercy given his age and his diabetes-related ailments.

Before deciding further action in the matter, the SSP Ferozepur has been directed to complete his probe within a period of four weeks. A status report has also been called on or before February 14, the next date of hearing, by the High Court.