MP cop didn't serve notice as asked. HC tells him to plant 1,000 fruit trees as punishment

The Print

8 hours ago

The order issued by the Jabalpur bench of the MP High Court stated: 'SHO Ravendra Diwedi, presently posted at police station city Kotwali, has tendered [an] apology for not serving the victim [the HC notice] in time. He has promised not only to pay the cost of Rs 5,000 imposed on him by the Inspector General of Police but also to plant at least 1,000 trees between 1 July to 31 August at Chitrakoot in Satna district.'
In an order issued 24 June, MP High Court justices Vivek Agarwal and Avanindra Kumar Singh directed Ravendra Dwivedi, the station house officer (SHO) of the Kotwali Police Station in Satna, to plant 1,000 fruit trees, including mango, jamun, Mahua, and guava, among others.
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh High Court, in a unique punishment, has ordered an inspector posted in Satna district to plant 1,000 fruit trees for his failure to pass on an HC-issued notice to a minor victim of a sexual offence.
The order further pointed out, 'Let fruiting trees like mango, jamun, Mahua, guava, etc., be planted and their photograph sent alongside GPS location to the registry, in support of the compliance report.'
The court also directed Ashutosh Gupta, Superintendent of Police (SP), Satna, to inspect the 1,000 planted trees before filing an affidavit, along with the compliance report.
The court ordered inspector Dwivedi to bear the costs of planting the trees, as well as ensure their care for a year, which will be essential for their germination and survival.
A senior police officer with the Madhya Pradesh Police explained that when an accused in a sexual offence challenged any conviction, the court would issue a notice to the victim. 'Through this notice, the victim has an opportunity to be present before the court and make themselves heard. This particular case concerns a sexual offence case from 2018 when the SHO's posting was at the Sabhapur Police Station in Satna.'
'The accused challenged the conviction, and subsequently, the court issued a notice to the victim. But, SHO Ravendra Diwedi failed to hand the notice over to the victim on time. In this regard, the court has pulled him up,' said the senior police officer.
When The Print contacted Ashutosh Gupta, SP, Satna, said, 'We have received the order of the honourable court, and we will be complying with it.'
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: Madhya Pradesh youth assaulted over 'cow smuggling' succumbs to injuries, another critical