CHANDIGARH: Former Panjab Financial Commissioner (Home) S.L. Kapoor testified before the trial court last week that former Punjab Police ‘thief KP.S. Gill was inebriated at the ‘Winner party where the alleged incidents of outraging the modesty of a lady IAS officer Rupan Bajaj took place.  

Appearing as a witness before the CIM, who held his court inside the traffic police auditorium, Sector 29, the former Home Secretary, who ‘hosted the dinner party. Said that Rupan had told him that Gill had slapped her posterior, _

However, on being cross examined by the defence counsel, Aloke Sen Gupta, the witness said that he did not ‘personally witness the alleged incident and Rupan Bajaj also while narrating the incident did not specify the ‘exact area where she was hit by Gill that evening.

Kapoor disclosed that no other lady ‘who attended the party complained about any misbehavior by Gill. He failed to recollect if Promila Mahajan, wife of an industrialist, was an invitee to the party or not.

Accepting that though the then Punjab Governor, S.S. Ray, had not Sent any orders to him to send a report, he had prepared a three page report and had sent to the Governor on July 29, 1988, the day when Rupan Bajaj had also filed an FIR against Gill.

He denied that the report was prepared as corroborative evidence against Gill.

Kapoor said that he changes his impression about the Bajaj couple not interested in pursuing the matter further, only after he was called by the then security adviser to the Governor, JE. Ribeiro, from whom he learnt that Rupan had also complained against Gill to him, the very next day. The former Home Secretary denied the suggestion that at the time of the alleged incident there were serious differences between Gill and Ribeiro. “There were some differences in their perceptions only,” he said and added that the major differences cropped up much later.

Kapoor deposed that the Governor: had asked Ribeiro to concentrate more on the other departments given to him, but did not recall that the tater had been asked to interfere less in the affairs of the working of the police department. Informing the court that he was a member of the Punjab IAS Officers” Association, Kapoor said that they had no knowledge about a signature campaign by the officers against the incident nor did he attend any such meeting of the association.

While stating that in view of militancy. He had to constantly keep in touch with Gill he admitted that if he wanted to contact Gill in any districts of Punjab he could have done so within a few minutes.

Earlier, during the examination in chief, Kapoor informed the court that at a private dinner party hosted by him, where about 20 couples had been: invited, Rupan Bajaj had asked him to. Check the DGP Gill whom she charged of mis behaving with her.

Kapoor said that Rupan had told him that Gill had tried to make her sit next to him and when she was about to sit, the police chief pulled her chair towards himself. She did not like the gesture and walked away; Gill followed her and allegedly hit her o the back side. Kapoor than sought Gill, whom he found standing on one side of the Jawn in an inebriated condition,

Gill was then taken into the house, where after having dinner, before the other guests, he left the party.

He said that he immediately offered apologies to Rupan Bajaj for the alleged unsavory incident and while socking the guests off he again apologized. He added that Bajaj then did not want the incident to get publicized as some journalists were also present.

He added that though after talking to the journalists, he found that none had seen the incident, he requested them not to publicize the alleged incident.

Kapoor also verified the note pre pared by him on July 29, 1988 when I was chowk to him in the court. With the conclusion of the cross-examination of Kapoor, the only prominent witness left to be examined is S.S. Ray who would be examined on May 11. ‘The other witnesses who are to be examined on that day are Savitri Nehra, wife of a leading advocate, Gyaninder Bhardwaj, correspondent of *Hindustan,” a Hindi daily, two police officials who had investigated the case, a retired DSP who was on deputation with the UT administration. Shashi Kapoor, wife of S.L. Kapoor, and some journalists were dropped from the prosecution list that day.

While public prosecutor, R.L, Sharma represented the State, A.S. Chahal represented the complainant.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 15, 1996