SC slams Govt on trans-border smuggling

New Delhi, Mar 17 (PTI) The Government's bid to dismiss an Intelligence Bureau sub-inspector for alleged smuggling has boomeranged on it, with the Supreme Court slamming it for its failure to probe the larger issue of trans-border smuggling. "Trans-border smuggling is a subject of federal function. We fail to understand as to why no deeper probe was made in regard to his involvement, if any, vis-a-vis the role of the officers concerned in (the local) police station. "If the contention of the appellant (Union Government) was correct, the competent authority of the Central Government should have taken up the matter with the State Government. Such inaction on the part of the appellant is a matter of deep public concern," a bench of Justices S B Sinha ad H S Bedi observed. The apex court passed the observation while ordering reinstatement of Naman Singh Sekhawat, a sub-inspector of the IB, who was dismissed in 1993 on charges of smuggling despite the fact that the Customs Department and a criminal court had acquitted him of the charges more than a decade ago. Sekhawat claimed that during his posting in Rajasthan's Barmer district he rushed to Ramsar Gargaria Road along with his driver Mool Singh and intercepted a large quantity of smuggling goods. But while bringing the goods in the official jeep for depositing it with the Customs authorities (as per the practice) it was intercepted by head constable Bhori Das and constable Kirta Ram of the Ramsar Police Station. The policemen were travelling in a "Jonga jeep" which was being driven by smuggler Bhoor Singh. PTI

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