Inderpreet Chadha suicide case: HC stays police probe against DGP Chattopadhyaya

Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the police investigation against Punjab DGP (Human Resource Development) in a suicide case of the son of a former president of century-old charitable-cum-educational body Khalsa Diwan.

The division bench of Justices Surya Kant and Shekhar Dhawan today passed the order after IPS officer Siddharth Chattopadhyaya sought transfer of the probe into the suicide of Inderpreet Chadha, the son of former president of Chief Khalsa Dewan Charanjit Singh Chadha, to the CBI or to a retired judge of the high court.

Through his counsel Anupam Gupta, Chattopadhyaya also accused two senior rank officers -- DGP Suresh Arora and DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta -- of "targeting" him in order to "disable" him from conducting inquiry into the complicity of the SSP Moga, Raj Jit Singh, and a dismissed inspector in a drug trafficking case.

Chattopadhyaya is leading a special investigation team constituted by the high court to investigate the role of the SSP and the dismissed police inspector in a drug trafficking case.

"Investigations into Inderpreet Chadha suicide case, an FIR of which was registered at police station Airport in Amritsar on January 3, 2018 shall remain stayed in relation to DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya," said Gupta citing the high court bench's order.

However, the investigation against others can go on and the report of investigation in suicide case shall be submitted to the high court by April 23, he said.

Inderpreet Chadha had committed suicide in January this year in Amritsar after he, along with his father, was booked for criminal intimidation on the complaint of a woman.

A video clip purportedly showing Inderpreet Chadha's father in an objectionable position with the woman had gone viral.

After lodging a case of abetment to suicide, Punjab police had formed an SIT led by IG L K Yadav to investigate the case. Chadha had left a suicide note in which he mentioned several names. Chattopadhyaya's name, along with that of some others, allegedly found mention in one of his dairies recovered by the police.

Arguing in the court on behalf of the IPS officer, Gupta said, "Chattopadhyaya is being hounded by DGP Punjab Suresh Arora and DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta. The entire investigation in suicide case was being directed and monitored on hourly basis by these DGPs."