Army, police dispute over Major's arrest

Army, police dispute over Major's arrest
VISHNU DUTT, D N DIWAKAR

AMBALA, JANUARY 4: The Army authorities and the police here are at loggerheads with the former demanding the tranfer of the Superintendent of Police alleging that a Major was kidnapped and detained for about 16 hours at an unknown place on December 25. On the other hand, police claim that the Major was arrested on the allegation of beating up a Haryana Roadways driver and threatening to kill him.

On December 25, the Ambala Cantonment Police registered a case against Major Sudhir Tripathi of Deccan Horse for allegedly beating up Faqir Chand, a Haryana Roadways driver. In his complaint, Faqir Chand alleged that he was beaten up by the Major who also threatened to kill him when he was driving his bus to Raipur Rani from Ambala Cantonment on Government duty.

The police had arrested the Major after registering the case. Major Tripathi was produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Tyagi the next day, who released him on bail. Major Tripathi is presently stationed at Bareily.

The Army officers hadapproached the SP and had talked to him several times regarding the incident. It is learnt that he had first assured them of settling the issue peacefully. The officers alleged that instead, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Ambala Cantonment was directed to register a case against the Major. Later, the Major was taken to some unknown place after being ``kidnapped'' him and was produced before the CJM next day.

The Army has taken a serious note of the issue and has alleged that the police has acted hastily against the law. They alleged that the SP ordered the arrest of the Major without verifying the facts. The SP also refused to meet the Army officers including a Lt Colonel and a Major; and police officials allegedly treated them shabbily, which is against the decorum of treating Army officers.

The Army officers alleged that the SP had violated the instructions contained in the Home Ministry letter issued in February 1984, which clearly lays down that ``the arrest of a member of defence forces shouldimmediately be reported to the nearest military station as well as to the commanding officer at the arrested personnel together with details of the offence, date of arrest and the place where detainees, if in custody''.

The officials, however, regretted that the SP did not pass on any information officially. The Army officers have demanded the immediate transfer of the SP so that both the Army and the civil administration can have cordial relations.

Resentment also prevails amongst the Army officers after they have reportedly learnt of a letter written to the chief of Army staff by the SP, Navdeep Singh Virk, using derogatory language against another Major who had gone to pursue the case of Major Tripathi.

The letter, it is learnt, states, ``The Major started talking loudly and threatening the police staff that they could also be arrested by the Army and locked up in the quarter guard. He also threatened the SP in the same manner and pressed the chief of Army Staff to take appropriate disciplinaryaction for the misconduct on the part of Army officers.''

It is learnt that an emergent meeting of the Army officers is going to be held on Wednesday to take stock of the situation arising out of the letter written by the SO in utter violation of the protocol, since the SP ranks equal to the rank of an Army Major. It is also leant that the Army officers have prepared a draft of whole of the episode which would be discussed in the meeting for action against the defaulting police officer.