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Patna, Feb. 18: The high court today sought an explanation from the state government on the “inordinate delay” in lodging an FIR in connection with the death of a boy after being allegedly hit by a minister’s escort vehicle.
Sonal Kumar (8) was allegedly run over and killed by the escort jeep of the minister on National Highway 31 at Achwara village in the Barh area of Patna district on April 6, 2011. The high court bench of Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh asked the government to explain the delay in filing an FIR against the policemen in the vehicle. It also sought to know the nature of workload that delayed filing of the FIR by 21 months since the date of the accident.
During today’s hearing, the government, in its affidavit filed through Barh station house officer (SHO) Raj Kishore Singh, told the court that the FIR had been lodged in connection with case on December 5, 2012. “The filing of the FIR was delayed because of workload on the police station,” the affidavit stated.
The bench, not satisfied with the affidavit filed by the police, sought another explanation and remarked that the person who filed the affidavit did not deserve to hold the post.
Dipak Kumar Sinha, the counsel of Sonal’s maternal uncle Raj Kumar Singh, submitted that an FIR should have been lodged immediately after the accident. “But the police took 21 months to lodge the FIR. The police must explain the delay and the kind of workload it had,” Sinha added. The court directed the government to file its explanation within two weeks.
Sinha contended that protesters had staged a blockade on the highway demanding an FIR against the accused. The child’s uncle had on April 29, 2011, filed a complaint petition with the additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM), seeking institution of an FIR. “Till December 2011, the ACJM passed 19 orders, wanting to know if the directives were complied with,” Sinha said.
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