SIT constituted to investigate Buddha statue case
The ADGP, Hisar Range, Shrikant Jadhav, has constituted a five-member special investigation team (SIT), headed by Superintendent of Police (SP), Sirsa, Arpit Jain, to probe the two cases registered in the matter of the antique Lord Buddha idol, which was converted into bars by the Hansi CIA cops.
Case registered against CIA-2 officials for converting antique Buddha idol into bars, role of Hansi SP under scanner
The idol had been brought to Hisar by an UP labourer, an accused in the case, who was arrested today.
Thr SIT will be supervised by the Fatehabad SP Astha Modi, said the IG office spokesperson today. It will include Sirsa ASP Deepti Garg, Hisar DSP Detective Abhimanyu and inspectors Surender Kumar and Prahlad Singh. The Hansi police registered a criminal case against the entire CIA-2 branch, including seven cops and its in-charge, in connection with the melting and converting the antique idol of Lord Buddha into bars, said the ADGP.
Eight cops, including the CIA in charge Nitin Kumar, had been booked under Sections 166-A (public servant disobeying direction under law), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed, or giving false information), 217 (public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC on the complaint of Bablu.
The ADGP had ordered the registration of the FIR against the cops. The case files related to the FIR against the cops will be handed over to the SIT for further probe, the sources added.
The cops had taken away the antique idol from the UP labourer and got it melted and converted into bars, presuming it to be of gold. The cops scared away the labourer Bablu, who had brought the idol from his village in UP to Hisar.
Later, Bablu lodged a complaint with the IGP Hisar range who marked the complaint for further investigation, which led to the exposure of the entire episode. While the ADGP recommended the registration of the FIR against the cops, the Hansi police also registered an FIR against Bablu and four other persons, stated to be members of UP-based Taklu gang.
Timeline
January 10: Bablu took the idol of Lord Buddha to Hisar from Uttar Pradesh
January 12: CIA-2 Hansi police seized the idol from Bablu and let him off
January 22: Cops got it melted and converted into bars
March 7: Bablu complained to IG office, Hisar
March 17: Based on probe report, ADGP ordered registration of an FIR against CIA-2 cops and suspended them
March 17: Five persons, including Bablu, booked by the Hansi police and CIA cops placed under suspension
March 18: On the recommendation of the ADGP, FIR registered against cops who got the idol converted into bars with criminal intent. About 4-kg Lord Buddha idol turned out to be made of ordinary metal
