Abduction Of Dentist: SC To Hear Plea Of Chandigarh Administration Against HC's Order To Investigate UT Police Officials On March 17

The Supreme Court today said it will hear on March 17 the plea of the Chandigarh administration challenging an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to register an FIR and set up an SIT to probe the alleged abduction of a dentist by UT police personnel to prevent him from appearing in a court.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the UT administration, that the court has not read the entire case files and would take up the matter on Friday.

Mehta said this matter needs to be heard urgently as an SIT has been constituted by the Punjab police pursuant to the direction of the high court and there could be arrests in the case. "No, don't worry. Tell them that we are seized of the matter and we would take up the matter on Friday," the chief justice said.

Mehta said the case pertains to one Mohit Dhawan, against whom a criminal case was lodged after a Nairobi national accused him of cheating her when she had visited India to get dental implants from his clinic during 2017-18.

In the case, when Dhawan went to mark his presence before a magistrate's court, he was allegedly abducted by Chandigarh police team, who claimed that he was arrested in connection with another case.

Mehta said the high court had directed that an FIR be registered against police officials and an SIT be constituted headed by an SSP rank officer to investigate the role of Chandigarh police officials. On March 3, the high court asked the Punjab DGP to constitute the SIT within a week.

"Considering the fact that this case not only has the potential to shake the confidence of the common man in the administration of justice, but if incidents, as alleged by the petitioner, are found to be true, the conduct of police officers would amount to subverting the course of justice by causing interference in the implementation of orders passed by the courts," the HC had said.

With PTI Inputs