Ex-Gurugram police commissioner files defamation suit against judge, seeks Rs 1 cr in damages
Gurugram (PTI): Former Gurugram police commissioner Krishan Kumar Rao has filed a defamation suit against a judge for "adverse remarks" made against him in a judicial order and sought Rs 1 crore in damages.
The suit was filed in the court of Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division) Vikramjit Singh on Monday and the hearing was held on the same day. The court decided to take up the matter again on November 21.
"Suit seeking compensation and damages from and against the defendant and also to restrain the defendants from maligning and defaming the plaintiff in any manner has been received. It be checked and registered. Now, matter stands adjourned for 21.11.2024 for consideration on the point of maintainability of the suit," read the order.
According to the senior IPS officer, Additional District and Sessions Judge Amit Sahrawat in an order passed in February 2022 had rejected former deputy commissioner of Gurugram police Dheeraj Setia's bail application in connection with a multi-crore heist, saying there was more to the story than meets the eye.
The judge said that based on the admission made by Sachinder Jain Naval, a doctor who is the chief suspect in the case, it seemed suspicious that Setia, who was accused of accepting a bribe to derail investigations in the case, could do so right under Rao, especially given that gangsters would visit him at the Gurugram Commissionerate.
The court had also said that investigators could not determine if the entire exercise was done with the former police commissioner's consent without the suspect's custody, read the order.
In the defamation suit, the senior officer argued that the judge's remarks were based on conjecture and had no judicial basis. He stated that the comments regarding his supposed lack of knowledge about the events were personal in nature and unrelated to the adjudication of the bail application.
The petition also claimed that the comments were not protected under the Judges Protection Act since they did not pertain to the judge's official duties.
The incident dates back to August 4, 2021, when gangster Lagarpuriya's men broke into a flat of a private company used as office space and decamped with crores of rupees in cash. A Special Task Force investigating the case put this money at Rs 30-40 crore.
Naval had claimed that he bribed Setia with gold, cash, and currency in US dollars worth Rs 2.5 crore to hush up the case. However, he said Setia returned a large part of the money and gold but kept a few dollars, saying the case was not in his hands.
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Former CEC SY Quraishi flags concerns over variation in Maharashtra voter turnout data
New Delhi: Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi has expressed concern over the significant variation between the provisional and final voter turnout figures in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The state went to polls on November 20, with the voter turnout recorded at 55% by 5 pm. However, the final turnout, announced the following day, rose to 67%, marking the highest figure in nearly three decades.
In an interview with India Today, Quraishi, who served as CEC from 2010 to 2012, termed the discrepancy "worrying." He explained that voter turnout figures are typically recorded in real-time using Form 17A, where voters' attendance is marked by the presiding officer. At the end of the polling day, Form 17C is completed, documenting the total votes cast, with signatures from candidates' agents.
"The data is generated on the same day. How it changes significantly the next day is something I fail to understand," Quraishi said, urging the Election Commission to address the issue. He warned that such discrepancies could erode public trust in the electoral process, stating, "If doubts spread across the country, it could undermine the entire system."
The opposition had raised similar concerns during the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections, pointing out discrepancies of 5-6% between initial and final turnout figures. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking polling station-wise turnout data to be released within 48 hours of each phase.
However, the Supreme Court declined the plea, citing practical challenges, while the Election Commission argued that such disclosures could lead to logistical complications.
The Election Commission is yet to respond to the concerns raised regarding the Maharashtra election data.
