HC summons 2 police officers

CUTTACK: The functioning of the police, often accused of manipulating cases, has come under judicial scanner with the Odisha High Court directing personal appearance of two inspectors over interpolation of station diary in a case pertaining to illegal animal supply. Two former IICs of Chandrasekhapur Police station, Asim Kumar Panda and Rabindranath Satpathy, have been directed by the single judge bench of Justice MM Das to appear in person on December 15 and file their explanations, identifying the officer who had interpolated the station dairy.  While asking them to file showcause affidavits as to why criminal action shall not be initiated against them for filing interpolated document before the court, the bench warned them of handing over the matter to the Crime Branch for investigation. As per case records, an activist of the People for Animals organisation Sanjib Das had on July 20, 2008, informed the Madhupatna PS in Cuttack regarding an illegal transport of cattle and bullocks by truck. The police had seized the truck along with the animals therein but had allegedly let off the accused Zul Fukar Alli. On the other hand, Alli then went on to file an FIR against Das for alleged violence and atrocities. Basing on the FIR, Das was arrested and forwarded to court.Das, a resident of Chandrasekharpur in Bhubaneswar, had filed a petition in the High Court against his arrest in a false case and the court had then directed the police to file response. The then inspector of Chandrasekhapur Asim Panda and his successor Rabindranath Satpathy filed affidavits relating to the arrest along with the station diary in the case. Satpathy, who was the IIC as on September 8, 2011 also submitted the station diary where it was found written that the relatives of Das had denied to sign the arrest memo. The particular line “his relatives denied to sign the arrest memo” was found to be inserted as it was not in the first affidavit. The former ASI of Chandrsekharpur PS NB Samal has also corroborated that it was interpolated.