Bharti Arora Haryana police officer – The roadside biryani with succulent pieces of meat has always been popular with locals in Haryana’s Mewat, but the mouth-watering dish started making national headlines last week after police seized samples to test for the presence of suspected beef.

Alongside the biryani, the unprecedented police action has catapulted the state’s unique Cow Protection Police Task Force headed by a deputy inspector general-rank officer to the centre stage. The one-of-its-kind team is tasked with enforcing a ban on cow slaughter and smuggling.

Fearful of more trouble and a continuing police crackdown, biryani sellers are blaming the DIG. “a lady police officer has imposed strictness” they say.

But the 1998 IPS officer Bharti Arora, is unflustered. “Cow is a significant issue as it is related to the sentiments of a large section of the population. Issues related to cow often lead to violence and create law and order problem, necessitating police intervention,” she says, defending her job as a ‘cow protector’.

Ironically, last week’s raids on the biryani stalls were not ordered by her, but by the state Gau Seva Aayog (Cow Service Commission). Officials say the commission ordered the district police to check for beef in the biryani sold in Mewat.

Besides being the chief cow protector, Bharti Arora holds two other responsibilities: She is the DIG for police welfare and training, and the principal of Motilal Nehru School of Sports at Rai in Sonepat.

But it is her role as cow protector and her cow protection force that are the subject of endless curiosity.

IPS Bharti Arora, however, has taken the task in her stride and claims she is more than happy doing it. A disciple of Radha-Krishna, she turns sentimental when it comes to the subject of cows.

“Smuggling of cattle or cows is a crime of the highest order. We have found that those involved in these activities are hardcore criminals with several police cases against them. Money from cattle smuggling is also used for anti-social and anti-national activities,” she points out.

Her cow protection force is taking shape right now. Each district will have a dedicated team comprising an inspector, sub-inspector and assistant sub-inspector, two head constables and 12 constables to enforce the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act 2015. The act bans cow slaughter, making it punishable with 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.

Right now, she functions from an office allotted in the administrative block of the police complex at Bhondsi, 15kms from Gurgaon, and coordinates with district police superintendents over the phone.

“I hold meetings with district superintendents of police and make them aware about importance of the issue,” she says.

Bharti Arora IPS is required to keep a tab on slaughter houses, check sources of smuggling of beef and bovine animals, and prepare a database of those involved in cow slaughter and beef smuggling. As one of her aides puts it, protecting cows is no child’s play in politically charged Haryana.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cop-on-the-cattle-beat-ips-officer-bharti-arora-protects-haryana-cows/story-Sk5BwIfKYxv6mdHZFyzfEJ.html

Court says filing of supplementary challan against former IAS officer RP Bhardwaj and his family members by Gurgaon police was ‘nothing but an abuse of the process of law’

Ordering the quashing of criminal proceedings against a former Haryana IAS officer RP Bhardwaj and his family members, the Punjab and Haryana high court has held that the filing of supplementary challan against them by the Gurgaon police was “nothing but an abuse of the process of law”.

The case had gained prominence in 2015 when an inquiry by then Gurgaon joint commissioner of police IPS Officer Bharti Arora revealed botched-up investigations.

Bharti Arora was shifted out after she accused the then commissioner of police Navdeep Virk of interfering in the probe.

Justice HS Madaan of the HC in its September 27 order said that subsequent action of the police in conducting further investigation without any direction or permission from the court and then filing supplementary challan does not make any sense. There was nothing on record to show that the investigating agency later came across substantial evidence against them, the court said.

The case

The matter pertained to the registration of a July 2014 first information report (FIR) against Ajay Bhardwaj, son of retired IAS officer RP Bhardwaj under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) at Gurgaon. Later, the police also named RP Bhardwaj, his wife, daughters and two other sons in the supplementary challan as accused.

The complainant had alleged that Ajay developed physical relations with her stating he was a divorcee and intended to marry her. She also alleged that Ajay and his parents had cheated her. The case was investigated by the police and only Ajay was challaned initially.

Family members named as accused by police

During the course of trial against Ajay Bhardwaj, an application under section 319 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for summoning of his family members as additional accused was moved by the complainant. It was, however, dismissed by the trial court on March 3, 2015.

The trial court observed that the allegations levelled by the complainant against them were very vague and the police after due investigation did not find their involvement. However, the Gurugram police filed a supplementary challan under Section 173 (8) of CrPC against them without the permission of the court.

Allegations against family hollow: Court

The HC in its order said the main thrust of allegations was against Ajay Bhardwaj, who has since been booked and is facing trial. The parents and family members of Ajay have no direct concern with the complainant. “The observations made by the trial court while dismissing application to summon petitioners as additional accused, points out towards hollowness of the allegations,’’ the HC said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hc-gives-clean-chit-to-retired-ias-officer-kin-in-2014-rape-case/story-vdWrXolImTsdIxu3pIeZ4J.html