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The seat expressed its dissatisfaction with this response, stating that the authorities could person expedited the fund sanctioning process wrong hours oregon days if it had shown the willingness to equip itself with modern investigative tools.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Punjab Government, done its Chief Secretary, to furnish details of expenses incurred successful the existent fiscal twelvemonth connected advertisements promoting the government’s show and achievements. This absorption came aft the Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Punjab, told the tribunal astir a “serious fund constraint to acquisition instrumentality for the remaining 3 Regional Forensic Science Laboratories (RFSLs).”
The bid was issued by Justice Sandeep Moudgil during a proceeding connected a bail petition filed by Vinay Kumar successful an NDPS lawsuit registered astatine Sarhali constabulary presumption successful Tarn Taran district.
During erstwhile hearings, the petitioner’s counsel alleged that Vinay Kumar had been taken into custody connected September 14, 2023, but was officially shown arsenic arrested connected September 16. The counsel supported this assertion with CCTV footage, which was placed connected record. The tribunal directed the State counsel to verify the footage’s authenticity and taxable a presumption report.
The State counsel informed the tribunal that the CD containing the footage had been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh, for analysis. However, the Punjab FSL lacked the facilities to analyse the CD oregon video clips, a information noted with interest by the court.
On Tuesday, an affidavit by Dr Ashwani Kalia, Director of the Punjab FSL, was filed, detailing the advancement of procuring video forensic tools. Dr Kalia informed the tribunal astir a gathering held by the Technical Evaluation Committee connected January 9, 2025, regarding the proviso and installation of the equipment, and assured that the process would beryllium completed wrong 4 weeks.
Dr Kalia besides highlighted the deficiency of budget allocation for the different 3 RFSLs, stating, “There is superior fund restraint to acquisition the instrumentality for the remainder of 3 RFSLs.”
The seat expressed its dissatisfaction with this response, stating that the authorities could person expedited the fund sanctioning process wrong hours oregon days if it had shown the willingness to equip itself with modern investigative tools. Justice Moudgil noted, “In this integer and artificial quality era, the State cannot warrant a shortage of funds for captious forensic equipment.”
The tribunal further observed that delays successful filing challans owed to a deficiency of investigative resources yet payment the accused. It emphasised the request for instrumentality enforcement agencies to beryllium equipped with modern facilities to guarantee effectual probe and justness delivery.
The High Court has directed the Punjab Government to taxable details of expenses incurred from April 1, 2024, to January 20, 2025, connected advertisements highlighting authorities achievements and the acquisition of caller vehicles for constabulary officials. The accusation indispensable beryllium furnished done an affidavit by the Chief Secretary wrong a week.
The substance has been adjourned to January 29.
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