VHP says cop heading seer case is ‘tainted’

Author: UNI
Publication: The New Indian Express

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday alleged that Superintendent of Police Premkumar, heading the special investigation team probing cases involving Kanchi acharya Jayendra Saraswati, was a ''tainted officer'' with a ''shady background.''

Talking to newspersons here, VHP international president Ashok Singhal alleged that Premkumar had been convicted twice and indicted by several High Court judges for his 'misconduct.'

''We don't expect the investigation being done by Premkumar to be fair. Having badly failed in the investigation, with several witnesses turning hostile, the police are now jumping over irrelevant issues to malign the fair name of the acharya and the mutt,'' he said.

However, Singhal did not demand the removal of the officer as he held the view that the whole case was foisted on the seer. ''Why should I demand the removal of the officer or the transfer of the case to some other state when the charges are false and the seer was falsely implicated in the case,'' he shot back, answering a question.

He alleged that a fast track court in Madurai had convicted Premkumar in two cases, but he was let off under the probation of offender act, considering his position. While being the DSP of Nagercoil, he was convicted under Sections 355 (outraging the modesty of women) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of Indian Penal Code (IPC), though he faced case under Section 307 (attempt to murder), Singhal said.

Besides, there were seven complaints against him and a Sessions Judge who was asked to inquire into the complaints, held that there was prima facie to proceed against him, he said.

Assisted by an advocate, Singhal claimed that when a writ petition was filed in Madras High Court, challenging the appointment of Premkumar as DSP, Justice N Srinivasan had said that his appointment was only temporary in nature and would become permanent based on the outcome of the cases.

Similarly, Justice Karpaga Vinayagam, while passing orders pertaining to another case, had observed that ''it was shameful to find a person like the petitioner (Premkumar) is allowed to work in police.''
The Judge later slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on the officer and was asked to pay the amount to the Gandhi Mission in Madurai.

In respect of a complaint that Premkumar had disrobed a woman and attempted to remove her ''mangalsutra,'' the Sessions Judge in Tirunelveli, who inquired into the complaint, found prima facie, he claimed.

Two years ago, Justice Karpaga Vinayagam directed the state crime branch CID police to register a case against Premkumar, but no action seemed to have been taken. When the aggrieved person petitioned, the Director General of Police I K Govind had said that action had already been taken against him, Singhal alleged.

''A person with this kind of background and track record is heading the investigation team,'' Singhal lamented.

Dismissing as 'false' and 'baseless,' reports that the seer had admitted to his guilt during custodial interrogation, Singhal said ''it is a Himalayan untruth…The seer is innocent and it is nonsense to say that he admitted to his guilt.''