CoP wonders how lawyers got hold of police communication

Files additional counter affidavit in case seeking CBI probe into Nelpettai blasts

April 29, 2014 12:37 pm | Updated May 21, 2016 01:48 pm IST - MADURAI:

Sanjay Mathur, Commissioner of Police, Madurai city, on Monday questioned the source through which a group of lawyers had obtained copies of two official letters written by the district’s former Superintendent of Police V. Balakrishnan to the Director General of Police (DGP) on March 29 and August 23 last year accusing a section of policemen of aiding certain fundamentalists.

The police commissioner raised the query in an additional counter affidavit filed in reply to a case instituted by a lawyer seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enquiry into two explosions reported at Nelpettai here on November 20, 2013 and March 14 this year.

The petitioner’s counsel W. Peter Ramesh Kumar had relied upon the two official letters to exhibit “the rot” that had set in the police department.

Wondering how the lawyers were able to get hold of the letters exchanged between two top police officers of the State, Mr. Mathur said: “It is unfortunate that such internal communications are made the subject matter of arguments in court proceedings. The writ petitioner must disclose to this court as to how he came to be in possession of the said two letters.”

The commissioner also claimed to have been informed that the letters were not obtained by the lawyers by invoking the Right to Information Act 2005.

“If the writ petitioner has secured the said copies through illegal means, then it shows that he has approached this court with unclean hands. On this sole ground, the above writ petition has to be dismissed,” he added.

In the first letter written on March 29 last, Mr. Balakrishnan had accused a Head Constable, attached to a police wing responsible for collecting intelligence regarding fundamentalist activities, of assisting his sources in their illegal activities. The communication requested the DGP to initiate necessary action against the policeman in order to safeguard the honour of the department.

In the second letter sent on August 23, the SP had accused a few personnel attached to intelligence wing of interfering in an investigation conducted by local police in connection with detection of explosive substances atop Tirupparankundram hill here on November 1, 2012 and trying to safeguard the accused.

Referring to the two letters, Mr. Mathur said: “Based on the records available at the DGP office… the issue raised by the writ petitioner with reference to the said two letters has been enquired at the highest levels of the department.

A report has also been submitted in this regard. I am ready to place the same for the exclusive perusal of this honourable court in a sealed cover.”

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