STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ramban Yahaya Firdoos Ahangar on Wednesday expressed displeasure over the manner of investigation being conducted by Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional SP, Ramban in the infamous case of fire incident at Dalwas.
On the intervening night of 31.12.2015/01.01.2016, when the labourers were celebrating New Year at Dalwas, which is base camp of Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, 10 labourers were killed in a fire incident and an FIR was registered at Police Station, Chanderkote (Ramban).
While considering the bail application moved by some labourers who were apprehended by SIT in the aforesaid case, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) after hearing Advocate ZA Lone appearing for the applicants/accused and Chief Prosecuting Officer KK Bandral along with Inspector Daljeet Singh expressed deep concern over shielding of the real accused and delay in completion of investigation.
When the case diaries were again called and perused on Wednesday, the Court does not find any concrete steps taken by the IO after the passing of the order dated 03.12.2016 and the IO has maintained status quo in the investigation.
The CJM further observed that the case diaries revealed that the IO had received all opinions from the forensic laboratory and had also recorded the statement of witnesses under section 161 Cr.P.C but the Court could not understand the reasons for delay in presenting the final charge sheet. While lambasting the SIT over delay in the matter, the CJM observed that on the previous hearing, the Court had observed that the occurrence had taken place almost one year back i.e. on January 1, 2016 and the victims were yet to get the justice and the defaulters were yet to be booked.
The Court observed that all this had happened only because of snail’s pace of SIT.
The Court after examining the CD file further observed that it is hoped that SIT would produce the charge sheet in near future as the Court does not find anything to be investigated further and the same has also been admitted by the IO Daljeet Singh except that the statement of an injured witness is yet to be recorded. Both IO and CPO stated in the open Court that the accused present in the Court were no more required for any kind of interrogation and accordingly, the Court granted interim bail on 03.12.2016. However, the CJM didn’t close the proceedings of the bail application and kept the matter alive for monitoring the investigation.
While parting with
the matter, the CJM directed that CPO should produce the case diaries along with IO and Chairman SIT on next date of hearing in order to apprise the Court about the latest stage of investigation and fixed the matter on December 29, 2016.
