Shimla: Observing that the petitioner
should not be harassed in the name of investigation, the
Himachal Pradesh High Court today issued notices to state
government, CBI and police chief on a man`s plea for a probe
by the central agency into his daughter`s suicide last month.
Sampoorna Singh had alleged that his 21-year-old
daughter Ritu Kalmotia had committed suicide on March 28
allegedly after a senior police officer refused to accept her
as his son`s prospective bride.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian
Joseph and Justice R B Mishra directed the government, CBI and
the state police chief to file a reply within two weeks.
The bench said investigation shall go on but in the
garb of investigation, the petitioner or his family should not
be harassed.
The case will come up for hearing next on April 28.
An FIR has been registered against Inspector General
of Police (Law and Order) Pardeep Kumar Sarpal, his wife and
son Sidarth Sarpal.
The IG has been charged with abetment to suicide and
destroying evidence from the scene.
Ritu had hanged herself allegedly after the IG turned
down a proposal for her marriage to his son with whom she had
a relationship for past many years.
The state government had transferred the case to CID
from district police but the victim`s family has been
insisting on a CBI probe.
Advocate Pankaj Bhardwaj, who had fought Ruchika
Girhotra molestation case in Chandigarh in which former
Haryana police chief SPS Rathore was convicted, is the counsel
for the petitioner.
PTI
