JUDGEMENT
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(1.) Reeta Rani, the petitioner has brought this petition under the
provisions of section 482 Cr.P.C. seeking directions to respondents No. 2
to 4 to provide protection to the life and liberty of the petitioner and her
family members from the hands of respondents No. 5 to 11 or any other
person at their behest as also for directions to respondents No. 2 to 4 to
investigate the matter regarding the alleged involvement of petitioner's
son Chetan Puri in various false and blind cases bearing FIR Nos. 316
dated 27.7.2010, 120 dated 18.9.2010, 252 dated 30.10.2010, 229
dated 8.12.2010 and 2 dated 6.1.2011, got registered at the behest of
Harish Bedi, the local MLA in order to pressurize the petitioner to
compromise the case registered by way of FIR No. 100 dated 28.5.2010
at Police Station Salem Tabri, District Ludhiana for an offence punishable
under sections 148, 323, 324, 354, 452, 506 read with section 149 of
Indian Penal Code with respondents No. 5 to 11. She has also sought
directions to respondents No. 2 to 4 to investigate the case registered by
way of FIR No. 100 dated 28.5.2010 and to proceed with the same in
accordance with law.
(2.) Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the
petitioner is mother of Chetan Puri. According to her, Chetan Puri is
aged 24 years and is working with his father in the family business of
hosiery. She has further submitted that Deepak Kumar, respondent No.5
had been a neighbour and friend of Chetan Puri. He was helping the
petitioner in various domestic chores. According to her, on 10.5.2010,
the petitioner found her purse to be missing and she asked Deepak
Kumar, respondent No. 5, in this regard. Annoyed with this, he went
away and brought his friends i.e. respondents No. 6 to 11, who pelted
stones at the house of the petitioner and gave beating to the petitioner
and her family members. The people of the locality came to their rescue
and on their arrival, they ran away. The petitioner also made a call to
police at No. 100. Police came to enquire, to whom a written complaint
was made, but no action was taken thereon. She has further submitted
that in the night intervening 11
th
and 12
th May, 2010, at about 1.00 AM
respondents No. 5 to 11 alongwith 20-25 persons armed with swords and
various other weapons forcibly entered the house of the petitioner and
had brutally beaten the petitioner and her family members. According to
her, the petitioner again approached Police Station, Salem Tabri, District
Ludhiana wherefrom an ASI and a constable came to the spot and took
some photographs, but no action was taken. She has further submitted
that on 23.5.2010, respondents No. 5 to 11 came to her house with an
intention to kill her. The petitioner and her family members managed to
save themselves with the help of residents of the locality. After
respondents left the place, the petitioner again called the police and in
response to her call, ASI Virenderjit Singh and some police constables
came to the spot. However, nothing was done this time also.
Respondent No. 9 is the uncle of respondent no.5. He keeps threatening
the petitioner and her family members that Harish Bedi, the local MLA is
very close to him and that he will get the entire family implicated in some
false criminal case. Apprehending danger from him, the petitioner made
several applications to the police and other authorities. She has further
submitted that at last, FIR No. 100 dated 28.5.2010 was registered at
Police Station Salem Tabri, District Ludhiana for an offence punishable
under sections 148, 323, 324, 354, 452, 506 read with section 149 IPC.
She kept making requests for investigation of the matter in accordance
with law and to seek protection of life and liberty of the family, but to no
effect. She has further submitted that thereafter, respondent No. 9, who
is close associate of MLA Harish Bedi got a blind FIR No. 2 dated
6.1.2011 registered at Police Station Daresi under sections 382, 341 and
506 IPC. The police picked up Chetan Puri on 15.1.2011. On 18.1.2011,
the petitioner came to know that her son Chetan Puri has been arrested
for his involvement in about 11 cases. Learned counsel for the petitioner
has submitted that these FIRs are pertaining to the period after the
lodging of FIR against respondents No. 5 to 11 by the petitioner.
(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that Chetan
Puri was never involved in any case earlier to the registration of FIR No.
100 dated 28.5.2010. She has further submitted that respondent No. 9,
who is an accused in FIR No. 100 dated 28.5.2010 is complainant in FIR
No. 2 dated 6.1.2011. She has further submitted that he was well
acquainted with Chetan Puri and despite that, he did not name Chetan
Puri in the FIR. She has further submitted that Chetan Puri has not
been identified by any complainant in all the FIRs and not even test
identification parade had been got conducted in any of those cases. She
has further submitted that all these FIRs and involvement of Chetan Puri
in those cases has been got done with a view to put pressure on the
petitioner for a compromise in the case registered by way of FIR No. 100
dated 28.5.2010. According to her, the partisan attitude of the police is
apparent from the fact that challan has been presented in the case
registered by way of FIR No. 100 dated 28.5.2010 but section 452 IPC
has not been added to the case despite the fact that there was clear
evidence to that effect.;