Kareena Eugene
On Tuesday, 20th April 2021, Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap attacked Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda. Kunwar alleged that the legal team led by the advocate did not defend the Kotkapura Police firing case properly, in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Kunwar in an interview with a web channel said that, “The home department had in writing issued instructions to the AG to appear in person in cases related to 2015 Bargari sacrilege. However, when the decisive hearing came up in the HC, the AG went on leave”.
He also alleged that, “for this legal team, including some high-profile lawyers from Delhi, the sacrilege case is like kuber ke khazane (a money spinner). The fee for one appearance is more than my three-year salary”.
The statement from Kunwar came hours after his premature retirement request was accepted by the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
On the 11th of April 2021, the Punjab-cadre officer had resigned, two days after the High Court had quashed a probe by a special investigation headed by him into the Kotkapura firing incident.
The Court also directed the State Government to reconstitute the SIT (Special Investigation Team) without Kunwar.
Kunwar said, “They even used to make me stand outside their office during case discussions as if I was a peon”. He also mentioned that, “whenever I met the CM in the matter pertaining to the case, the latter would call the AG”.
Kunwar alleged that in the case which the HC quashed the SIT findings, he pleaded several times before the legal team to contest the ‘maintainability of the civil petition’ filed by a Sub-Inspector.
Kunwar also said, “As a law graduate, I know that the civil petition can’t be filed when trial for the criminal case has started. It is very clearly stated in the law, but the legal team failed to notice this point”.
The Supreme Court lawyer H.S. Phoolka was slammed by Kunwar for not fighting case. Kunwar alleged that, “I used to consult him as he had openly announced that he would contest the cases related to sacrilege free of cost. I called him several times to appear in the high court but he expressed his inability saying that he doesn’t appear in the courts below the SC”. He further added, “When I tried to convince him, he asked a junior lawyer to help me, who, I later found out, was helping the opposition parties”.
Advocate General Nanda said that, the Punjab Government had assigned all matters pertaining to the police firing case, to a specialised legal team headed by the Senior Advocate from the Supreme Court.
Nanda added, “In his scenario, there is no question of my appearance or going on leave. The judgment in the case is awaited. That will clear all the facts”.
Earlier, Kunwar’s voluntary retirement request was accepted by the State Home Department, with effect from 15th of April 2021, and issued a notification.
The department had also waived the three-month notice according to the VRS rules. At first, Capt. Amarinder Singh refused to accept Kunwar’s resignation and had tried to persuade him to take back his Plea, but Kunwar was firm on his stand.
On Monday, 19th April 2021, Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia had claimed that the officer was set to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
