At a District Grievance Redressal Committee meeting in Kaithal, Transport, Energy and Labour Minister Anil Vij got into an argument with a police official who had allegedly ignored the minister’s earlier directions.
For a few minutes, Vij, who was chairing the meeting on Friday, exchanged sharp words with the police officer. The minister said the officer had not followed his earlier instruction to file a Zero FIR in a fraud complaint.
A Zero FIR can be filed at any police station, no matter which area the case belongs to.
Kaithal SP Upasna, who was present at the meeting, tried to step in and explain the police side of the issue. During the meeting, Vij kept pointing at the officer and asking why his orders were ignored. He also expressed anger at the SP over the matter.
A video from the meeting shows the minister telling the Kaithal SP that the police were not doing their duty properly.
Vij ordered the police to file a Zero FIR in Kaithal and follow the committee’s directions strictly. He asked the SP how his orders could be ignored. He said the issue reached the Grievance Redressal Committee only because the police had not taken action earlier.
The officer whom Vij had scolded said he was following the proper procedure in handling the complaint. He told Vij that the complainant had said he wanted to pursue the case in Chandigarh and had informed the Kaithal police about it.
Vij asked the officer if the complainant had given this in writing and told him to show it. He then called the complainant to verify.
After talking to the complainant, Vij said the complainant actually wanted Kaithal police to file the case and claimed that the police had delayed acting on his complaint.
In the video, the officer then tells Vij, “Sir, you are not doing justice.” Vij replied that he was doing justice. The officer said the situation was harming his career and that he was not to blame for the FIR not being filed. "I respect you. You ask anyone about me. There is no fault of mine in the entire matter," the police official said this in his defence.
"If this state's most powerful minister gave any direction, anyone would straightaway pay heed to the orders. But you have not registered the case. I told you to register the case. Register the FIR before this meeting gets over; otherwise, I will suspend you,” Vij further said.
Through the meeting, Vij also gave strict directions in several other matters.
In another case involving a young woman who said she was harassed and that police ignored her plea even after she showed evidence, Vij ordered an FIR to be filed against the concerned police staff.
He also set up fact-finding committees in four other cases and told them to submit their reports by the next meeting.
After the meeting ended, Vij personally listened to complaints from citizens and directed the deputy commissioner and SP to take the required action.
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