Mysterious disappearance of Advocate; BAJ extends strike till Aug 4
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Justice Tashi Rabstan of J&K High Court on Tuesday passed strictures over the mysterious disappearance Advocate Raman Wazir, missing since July 31, 2016, and directed the Director General of Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) without wasting time for expeditious investigations in the case.
Noting that the Advocate had been missing for the past 52 hours, Justice Rabstan also observed that the IGP, and S.S.P., Jammu would be held responsible if the police fails to bring the investigation to its logical end.
Accordingly a Special Investigating Team, comprising officers Shahzad Salaria, S.P. South (Head), Amit Sharma, SDPO, Nagrota, Dalip Singh Billoweria, SHO, Reasi, Parvez Sajjad, Inspector, Crime Branch, Arvind Rathore, Sr. P.O. High Court and Kunal Singh, Sub Inspector has been constituted.
Justice Tashi Rabstan also directed to ensure that Inspector Parvez Sajjad, Crime Branch be relieved immediately so as to join the SIT. “It is directed that till the desired results are achieved, the SIT would exclusively deal with the searching of missing Advocate”, ordered the Court.
As the petition was taken-up hearing, Justice Tashi Rabstan, after hearing Adv Abhinav Sharma President JKHCBAJ appearing for the petition, impleaded DGP J&K, IGP Jammu, SSP Jammu and SP Rural as party respondent and issued notices, directed them to appear at 11: 30 AM.
At 11:30 AM when the case was again taken-up, IGP Jammu along with SSP Jammu appeared in person.
Justice Tashi Rabstan observed that IGP, Jammu has spelled out the steps taken in searching the missing Advocate.
“To this effect, he has also filed the status report along with copy of order dated August 1, 2016 issued by the SSP, whereby a Special Investigation Team of four members, headed by SDPO Nagrota, has been constituted”, he added.
However, Justice Tashi Rabstan further observed tht keeping in view the suggestions made on behalf of the Bar in the pre-break session that the SIT be directed to be headed by some senior officer of the rank of IPS and the same must include officers of Police, Crime Branch and different Intelligence Wings of the State along with senior Members of the Bar, IGP, Jammu was directed to discuss the same with the senior Members of the Bar.
A team of BAJ, headed by President Abhinav Sharma, and comprising B. S. Salathia, Sr. Advocate, Sunil Sethi, Sr. Advocate, Rajesh Kotwal, , Subash Singh Jamwal, and Abdul Rouf Lone, all Advocates will assist the SIT in searching the missing Advocate.
While taking serious view of the investigation, Justice Tashi observed that although it has been revealed that what steps have been taken in two days in searching the missing Advocate, yet the Court is unable to assimilate the fact that the police is still clueless, what to talk of some concrete results. “It seems the police is just shooting in the air without any specific target that in what way and in what manner the investigation is ought to be done”, he observed.
The Court also directed the police to check the recording of CCTVs of the particular day wherever they are installed at the National Highway right from Lakhanpur Toll Plaza upto Srinagar and towards Mughal Road via Rajouri. The Court directed for listing the case on 4th August, 2016 at 8:30 AM when latest status report would also be filed.
Meanwhile J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu extended the strike till 4th of August, 2016.
