IAF officers thumb their nose at law

HYDERABAD: The cops wanted to arrest him but IAF officials said no. In what has turned out to be a showdown between the two agencies, a Punjab police team that landed at Air Force Station, Begumpet, few days ago to arrest an employee of IAF, his wife and son on dowry harassment and cruelty charges was prevented from doing so by the air force officials.

This led to police officials and the alleged victim's family accuse the IAF of highhandedness and contempt of court. Monika Sharma, an employee of State Bank of India (SBI) and hailing from Patiala, got married to Vishal Sharma on February 1, 2013. A few months later, Monika accused her husband, father-in-law VK Sharma and mother-in-law Usha Sharma of dowry harassment and cruelty and lodged a complaint to this effect with the Patiala police. Based on her complaint, the cops registered an FIR on December 4, 2013 and a warrant for his arrest was issued on December 19. However, when the Punjab police team arrived in Hyderabad and went to the air force station on December 26 to arrest the three, they were prevented from doing so. "We were stopped at the Begumpet Air Force station gate.

IAF is a huge organization and we are humble Punjab police employees. We were told that Air Force rules and law are different and that we cannot arrest them," said ASI Gurdev Singh, adding that IAF officials did not cooperate in executing the search and arrest orders. Monika alleged that besides V K Sharma, the station commander did not allow the arrest of her mother-in-law Usha Sharma and her husband Vishal, who is employed with a private firm at Hi-Tec City. "Vishal stays elsewhere but has taken refuge in his parents' house inside the IAF station in order to evade arrest," Monika alleged. The IAF officials instead have given an undertaking to the Punjab police officials that all the three accused will appear before the Patiala court on January 10. The assurance letter dated December 26, 2013, addressed to Patiala SSP Hardiyal Singh Mann by group captain Satish Balachandran, chief administrative officer at Begumpet Air Force Station, said Sharma has been informed and briefed about the pending warrant.

"It is hereby assured that he will be granted leave from this office to present himself before the court of Ms Pavleen Singh, judicial magistrate Ist class, Patiala, on Jan 10 at 1000 hrs. without fail," it said. However, both police officials and Monika's family members are up in arms over the air force officials not allowing Punjab police cops to arrest the three accused. When contacted, Patiala SSP H S Mann told TOI that the IAF has no power to interfere in the Code of Criminal Procedure. "Sections in the FIR are for criminal breach of trust, violence and cruelty and for restoration of 'istridhan' but the police team was not allowed to carry out any search," said Monika's brother Anshu Sharma.

via Times of India

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