Srinagar, July 14, KDC: A Srinagar sessions court on Tuesday stayed a lower court’s order directing the registration of criminal proceedings against Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, observing that the revision petition filed by the IPS officer raised “arguable questions warranting consideration.”
Admitting the criminal revision petition, the Court of the Second Additional District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, stayed the operation of the impugned order and fixed July 27 as the next date of hearing.
“I have heard the counsel for the revisionist at length and have carefully gone through the revision petition, the impugned order and documents annexed therewith,” the court observed.
“At this interlocutory stage, and without expressing any opinion on the controversy, this court is satisfied that the revision raises arguable questions warranting consideration,” the order said while granting an interim stay.
In his revision petition, the IPS officer contended that the arrest warrants in question pertained to Bandipora district, which does not fall within the territorial jurisdiction of the SSP Srinagar. He argued that he could not be held responsible for executing warrants outside his jurisdiction and sought setting aside of the magistrate’s order.
The stay order comes days after the Court of City Judge (Judicial Magistrate First Class) Tarun Mahajan initiated suo motu criminal proceedings against the SSP under Section 210(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
With the sessions court granting an interim stay, the criminal proceedings initiated by the magistrate will remain in abeyance until further orders. (KDC)
