PM security breach: Disciplinary proceedings against then Punjab DGP, two police officers
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Monday ordered the initiation of "disciplinary proceedings for major penalty" against former DGP S Chattopadhyaya and two other police officers over the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state in January last year.
Apart from Chattopadhyaya who has since retired, the disciplinary proceedings for major penalty will be initiated against Inderbir Singh, the then deputy inspector general (DIG) of police of Ferozepur range, and Harmandeep Singh Hans, the then senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Ferozepur.
Official sources said these officers would be asked to submit their responses.
According to the Home Affairs department's communication to the Personnel department issued on Monday, Mann also decided that explanations be sought from Naresh Arora, the then ADGP (Law and Order), G Nageshwara Rao, the then ADGP Cyber Crime, Mukhvinder Singh Chhina, the then IGP Patiala Range, Rakesh Agrawal, the then IG Counter Intelligence and Nodal Officer, Surjeet Singh, the then DIG Faridkot, and Charanjit Singh, the then SSP Moga, as to why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against them as recommended in the Supreme Court-constituted inquiry committee report.
The move came after the Supreme Court-appointed committee, which probed the security breach during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Punjab in January 2022, had indicted several state officers for lapses.
On January 5, 2022, Modi's convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.
The top court on January 12 last year had appointed the committee to probe the breach, saying these questions cannot be left to "one -sided inquiries" as they needed "judicially trained independent minds" to investigate.
The Union Home Secretary had last month written to the Punjab chief secretary to submit an action taken report in the matter.
A few days ago, Punjab Chief Secretary V K Janjua had said that the state government would send an action taken report to the Centre.
The chief secretary had then said that penalties to the erring officials can include stopping increments, demotion and in worse case dismissal of those still in service.
The security breach ahead of the Punjab assembly elections led to a major political controversy.
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K'taka HC confirms capital punishment on man who killed five, including three of his minor children
Bengaluru, Jun 10: A division bench of the Dharward Bench of the High Court of Karnataka has confirmed the death sentence on a man who killed five persons including his three minor children.
The HC has also issued several directions to the prosecution in cases where it is seeking the death penalty.
"The atrocity of the crime resulting in five deaths including 3 children below 10 years of age and the brutality with which the same has been committed, leaves us no option but to confirm the order of death sentence passed by the trial court, which we do with a heavy heart.
This in our considered opinion qualifies the test of rarest of rare cases requiring the award of death penalty," the bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj and Justice G Basavaraja said disposing of two petitions filed by the convict and the State.
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The HC had reserved the judgement on the petitions after completing the hearing on November 22, 2022 itself. But it had sought several pieces of information including certain records and reports.
These records, the court said were necessary to issue directions to be followed in all cases where the prosecution seeks for award of the death penalty.
The accused Byluru Thippaiah, a labourer from Kenchanagudda Halli in Kampli, Hosapete, Ballari, suspected his wife of 12 years was having an affair which led to quarrels.
They had four children, and Thippaiah declared that only one of them was born to him. On February 25, 2017, he attacked his wife, Pakkeeramma with a chopper.
He also attacked his sister-in-law Gangamma and his children Pavithra, Nagaraj and Rajappa. All the five succumbed to their injuries.
The Sessions Court at Ballari which conducted the trial against him, examined 36 witnesses and 51 material objects before finding him guilty and awarded the death sentence on December 3, 2019 under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and directed him "to be hung till death.".
Thippaiah approached the HC against the sentence imposed by the Trial Court while the prosecution approached the HC for confirmation of the death penalty.
The HC in its judgment said that it was shocked at the brutality.
"The manner in which the offence has been committed by the appellant is having attacked two women and three children in the house, hacked them and chopped them resulting in multiple injuries being caused to them and the Appellant coming out of the house and proclaiming that he has killed the prostitutes while holding chopper covered in blood. The same would shock the conscience of anybody and has indeed shocked our conscience, despite us having dealt with so many cases of offences relating to murder," the HC said.
The HC while confirming the death sentence, ordered for payment of compensation to Rajeshwari, the only child that survived the massacre.
The Additional Registrar was directed to forward the concerned file to the District Legal Service Authority to make necessary arrangements.
The HC also gave guidelines for the prosecution to follow in all cases where it is seeking the award of the death penalty.
These include placing report on the conduct and behavior of the accused in jail, a psychological and physiological evaluation of accused, details of family background, relationship with siblings, history of violence or neglect, opinion of parents, relationship with family members, educational background, socio-economic background, criminal antecedents and history of social behaviour.
"The above reports to be submitted firstly at the time when the Appellant is committed to trial, a second report, at the time of hearing on sentence if the Appellant were to be convicted, third report at the time when the appeal is heard and the matter is reserved for judgment," the HC directed.
