The Punjab and Haryana High Court reduced the punishment imposed on a constable of Haryana Police to a great extent. This case pertains to the disappearance of a dog squad bitch ‘Laika’, where the constable was accused of not timely informing his superiors.
This incident is of the year 2000. Constable Jagmal Singh was at that time posted as head constable in the dog squad of CID unit of Hisar. On the night of June 19, 2000, Laika went missing after freeing herself from her bondage and escaping amid the noise of a wedding going on in the neighborhood. The bitch was recovered a month later, on 20 July 2000. The departmental inquiry did not hold Singh responsible for the bitch’s disappearance, but he was held guilty for not immediately reporting it to a senior officer.
Ban on increasing salary
Initially, the disciplinary authorities had imposed a five-year ban on salary increments with permanent effect, which was reduced to two increments on appeal. However, no action was taken against the other person providing care.
High Court Justice Jagmohan Bansal, while hearing the case, said that there was misconduct by the constable in not giving timely information, but the punishment imposed was more harsh than this. The court limited the punishment to withholding of two increments with temporary effect. Also, the outstanding amount was ordered to be paid within six months and in case of delay, 7.5 percent annual interest will also be added.
expenditure on police dog squad
The dogs used in police dog squads are different from common pet dogs. These are special breeds such as the German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois, which are trained for crime investigation, search operations and security duties. These expenses are high because a good breed puppy can cost Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh or more.
Imported or certified breeds are more expensive than this. Apart from this, more than Rs 50,000 is spent on their special training, in which they are taught to work together with the handler. Food (meat, eggs and special diets), health check-ups, medicines, leash and other equipment can cost Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 or more per month.
These dogs are important assets for the police, so the department remains serious about their care and safety. Even in this case, Laika’s disappearance was not taken lightly. This decision reflects the principle of proportionate punishment, where the punishment should not be disproportionate to the fault.
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