Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court has directed CBI to investigate irregularities in the photo identification centre of the high court when a party to a criminal case claimed that her husband got his photograph clicked at the centre on a back date to prove in court that he was not one of the accused who fired gunshots on her (wife) as he (husband) was in Allahabad and not at Amroha on the date of the incident.
Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh passed the order in a revision petition filed by one Gurinder who claimed that he was falsely implicated by his wife and he was in Allahabad at the time and date of the alleged offence.
However, the wife of Revisionist-Gurendra opposed his plea alleging that her husband got a coupon of backdate to show his alibi.
According to the respondent-wife, due to malpractices in the centre, anyone can get a coupon of back date by changing the date and time in the software generating a coupon bearing a photograph and thumb impression of the litigant, further, showing the time and date when he came to the centre to get his photograph clicked.
In her support, she placed before the court, a coupon bearing her photograph and date of May 12, 2022, ie the date on which she was attacked and got seriously injured at Amroha.
She claimed that in June 2023, she visited the centre and managed to get the coupon of back date for herself by giving Rs 3,000/- to a man whom she met near the centre. On that date, only gunshots were fired at her and she got badly injured at Amroha.
Facts of the case were that one Gurendra was accused of firing gunshots at his wife on May 12, 2022 around 11.22 am in Amroha District but in his defence, he claimed that he was falsely framed in the case by his wife and he was in Allahabad and his photograph was clicked at identification centre around the same time. In his support, he provided a coupon-bearing his photo and date and time showing his presence at Allahabad.
The court on its order dated September 24 observed, “Accordingly, the Joint Director, Central Bureau of Investigation, Lucknow is directed to depute any officer to conduct an inquiry in the matter and submit a report before this Court by the next date in a sealed cover.”
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