Chandigarh, December 9:
In a unique turn of events, the Punjab and Haryana High Court utilized a WhatsApp video call to the Station House Officer (SHO) of SAS Nagar, Mohali, to verify whether the accused individuals in a cheating case, who were previously granted anticipatory bail, had joined the investigation.
The matter arose during a hearing on a plea seeking an extension of time for the accused to join the investigation. The State’s counsel claimed that the accused had not participated in the investigation, while the defense argued that the police were refusing to allow the petitioners to join the probe despite their presence at the police station.
Justice Sandeep Moudgil, observing inconsistencies in the claims from both sides, directed Advocate General Jaspal Singh Guru to initiate a WhatsApp video call with the SHO. The purpose was to observe the proceedings at the police station in real-time.
The SHO was connected via video call, and advocate Nikhil Ghai, representing the accused, instructed his clients to report to the police station. During the video call, the Court observed that the accused were indeed present at the police station.
The SHO confirmed during the call, “The petitioners have joined the investigation and are not required for further custodial interrogation.”
This video call intervention was made during the hearing of an application under Section 528 of the BNSS, 2023, which sought an extension of time for the accused to join the probe. Earlier, the SHO had submitted an affidavit stating that the petitioners had not participated in the investigation. However, the petitioners’ counsel presented photographs allegedly showing the accused standing at the police station’s main gate, countering the State’s claims.
In response, the State’s counsel contended that CCTV footage from December 2, 2024, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., demonstrated that the accused did not appear at the station. The State’s counsel dismissed the photographs as fabricated evidence created to mislead the Court.
Faced with conflicting claims from both parties, the Court decided to resolve the matter directly by observing the situation at the police station through the video call.
After noting the SHO’s on-call statement, the Court disposed of the plea, concluding that the accused had fulfilled their obligation to join the investigation.
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