New Delhi, January 9
Little could one imagine that the right to information would some day help a victim take on the might of Punjab’s Crime Investigating Agency (CIA). A Delhi-based man has shown that with the right to information, anything is possible.

Using call data records (CDRs) of mobile phones of six CIA officials from Nawashahr, Santokh Singh, legal adviser with the Ministry of Law, has challenged the police theory behind booking of his brother, Paramjit Singh, under the NDPS Act on August 18 last.

Santokh has made a case of illegal detention of Paramjit Singh (resident of Uttar Pradesh), getting the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) to order a high-level enquiry into how the said CIA officials were present with Paramjit Singh, the accused, in Garhshankar on August 17, a day before the actual FIR was registered.

In his petition to the PSHRC, Santokh Singh counters the claims of Lakhbir Singh, CIA staff in charge, Nawashahr, and his colleague Satinder Pal Singh, DSP (Detective) of SBS Nagar. In the FIR, challan and statements, Lakhbir Singh had stated that on August 18 last at 7.30 pm he had called up the DSP (Detective) on his mobile phone He had asked him to reach Farala in Nawashahr to effect the search and arrest of the accused, who was finally booked at Behram in Nawashahr.

Call data records, however dispute police claims, showing that on August 18, 2009, no incoming or outgoing calls were recorded on the mobile of Lakhbir Singh.

Further, Satinder Pal’s call records trace his location to Ropar on the given day at the said time, whereas he had claimed presence at the same time in Nawashahr, where the accused was allegedly booked.

CDRs also show the presence of police officers in question with Paramjit Singh in Garhshankar a day before the latter was actually booked for carrying drugs.

“This prima facie makes for investigation into claims of illegal detention of Paramjit Singh. We have asked the ADGP of the commission to requisition CDRs of the officers involved in the arrest. CDRs, prima facie, suggest that the accused and CIA officials were at Garhshankar a day before the FIR was registered. But the commission enquiry will ascertain the truth,” Avinash Rai Khanna, member of the PSHRC, said.

Although SSP, Nawashahr had earlier reported to the commission in this matter, saying challan against the accused had been filed, the commission chose to order a further enquiry after the victim’s family submitted CDRs, putting police officials in the dock.