Gauhati High Court asks DGP to expedite probe

Suicide of Irrigation department employee

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati Court has directed Assam's Director General of Police (DGP) to personally ensure that a dormant investigation is expedited into a case related to the suicide of an employee of the Irrigation Department, one Mathur Chandra Nath of Tezpur.

The court's directive came in connection with a suo motu Writ Petition (C) (No. 1/2019) which was filed over tardy investigation into two cases at the Dispur Police Station and the Tezpur Police Station in 2011-2012, which relates to the suicide of Mathur Chandra Nath. It is alleged that Nath had committed suicide after becoming an incidental victim of a financial scam in the Irrigation Department.

The suo motu matter was taken up as follow-up action in connection with an earlier petition filed by RP Sharma, pleading that the court should issue a directive for handing over the two suicide-related cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

It the latest order, a two-judge Bench of the High Court observed: "This is a suo motu writ petition. We have been told that the final report filed by the police has not been accepted by the learned Magistrate, who has directed for fresh investigation in the matter. Although the order was passed as far back as on 13.12.2019, nothing seems to have taken place since then as this Court has been informed that police has not completed its investigation. This seems to be a very sorry state of affairs.

"We, therefore, direct that the Director General of Police, Assam shall personally look into this aspect and expedite the investigation. This may either result in the filing of final report or charge-sheet, but the investigation not being done for such a long period is definitely a matter of concern," the order stated.

The court further directed that an affidavit be filed by the Additional Senior Government Advocate, Assam in this regard.

Hearing of the matter will resume on March 9.

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