Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a serious case that surfaced following a court summon, MP Nagar police allegedly included a tea vendor as a prosecution witness to make up for the shortage of witnesses in charge sheet. The negligence has raised questions on police functioning.
The shocking lapse came to fore when Vallabh Nagar resident Dharmendra Singh who runs a tea stall opposite MP Nagar police station received a court summon earlier this month. The notice stated that he was a prosecution witness in a case of assault that took place in October 2020 and directed him to appear before the court.
Dharmendra was shocked as he claims he was not present on the spot of the incident and he neither gave any statement to police in connection with the case.
Speaking to media persons, Dharmendra Singh said he runs a small tea stall and knows nothing about the assault in which he was being mentioned as a witness. I was never at the spot, nor did the police ever record my statement. I came to know that I was made a witness only after receiving the court notice, he said.
According to sources, police allegedly added his name to the list of witnesses in charge sheet to compensate for the lack of credible eyewitnesses. However, this raised serious doubts regarding the fairness and seriousness of the investigation of the case.
It is to note that this is not the first time such cases have surfaced. In the past, courts acquitted accused persons in many cases after finding flaws like fake witness and incomplete investigation. Police commissioner Harinarayanachari Mishra said the incident would be taken seriously. The case will be probed thoroughly and if negligence or misconduct by cops is found during the inquiry, strict action will follow, he said.
