Charges of corruption,criminal conspiracy against two UT S-Is

It was on November 7,2008 when the CBI sleuths had arrested Sub-Inspector Sanjiv Kumar,the then in-charge of the Neelam Police Post,Sector 17,Chandigarh.

According to the CBI,Sanjiv was arrested on the complaint lodged by a bookstore owner,Arvind Kumar Pandey,who had alleged that Kataria and Sanjiv had demanded Rs 50,000 from him as a “kickback” for evicting his ‘tenant’ from his shop at the bridge market. According to the CBI,the complainant could not have rented his leased shop as per rules,but he had given it to a garment dealer by showing him as his employee in the records. The CBI officials had first nabbed Kataria with the amount and then gone to the police post to nab Sanjiv. Later,after the CBI had filed the chargesheet,it had named another accused,Sub-Inspector Ramesh Chand,in the case. Chand was neither arrested by the CBI nor was he suspended by the police.

Soon after his arrest,Sanjiv (a recipient of President’s medal) was suspended on November 12,2008. However,he was reinstated on May 7,2010 by the Chandigarh Police. At present,he is posted as a Sub-Inspector with the Master Technical Cell.

The CBI also had in its possession a CD containing voice recording of Sub-Inspector Sanjiv and Kataria. The CD was prepared by the complainant and not the CBI.

Despite having been chargesheeted in a corruption case,the Chandigarh Police force chose to reinstate Sanjiv. Notwithstanding that it is the discretion of the police force whether to reinstate a tainted police officer or not,advocate N S Shekhawat said,“There are judgments,including a Supreme Court judgment,which make it aptly clear that till the time a court of law acquits a tainted officer,he should not be reinstated. Also,it is imperative that the tainted police officer is also absolved in the departmental inquiry initiated against him.” As per available information,the departmental inquiry against Sanjiv is yet pending.

When contacted,SSP Naunihal Singh said,“He (Sanjiv Kumar) was reinstated in May 2010 before I joined the Chandigarh Police as SSP. The review committee which was looking after the case must have found it suitable to reinstate him as CBI was not able to submit the chargesheet in the case for a long time.”