Kanjhawala Case: Delhi Court extends police custody of all accused for 4 days
Jan 05, 2023
New Delhi [India], January 5 : A Delhi Court on Thursday extended the police custody for four days of all the five persons, accused of hitting a 20-year-old girl and dragging her for a considerable distance leading to her death in Outer Delhi's Kanjhawala.
Metropolitan magistrate Sanya Dalal granted four-day police custody to all the five accused, Deepak Khanna, Amit Khanna, Manoj Mittal, Krishan, and Mithun, on Thursday.
After three days of police custody, all the accused were produced through video conferencing, due to security reasons, from Rohini Court's lockup amid heightened security. They were arrested on January 1.
"Police demanded five days of custody but the court granted them a four-day custody," said Advocate Shivani Sharma (LAC), counsel appearing for Deepak Khanna, Amit Khanna, Krishan and Mithun. 
"Police told the court, that their investigation is incomplete and two other names of accused have come to the fore, that's why we need a five-day police custody," she said, adding that no evidence was presented yet she added.
Advocate Shivani said that the accused will be presented again after the police custody comes to an end.
The IO sought a further five days of police custody, but the court granted four-day police custody.
The IO submitted that it is a gruesome crime committed at the Shani Bazar Road in which the deceased was dragged for 13 kilometres under a car. The accused drove the car for two hours.
He also submitted that the route is long, and more CCTV footage is to be collected. Two accused are to be arrested. Disclosure statements of all five accused have been recorded. The Call Detail Record (CDR) of the accused persons has been preserved.
The IO also submitted that the accused Deepak has been planted by the other accused persons in this case.
On the court's question about the finding of the investigation, the IO submitted that the CCTV footage had been collected from a petrol pump and a place where the accused took food. "They also went to Murthal but the CCTV footage could not be collected from there," IO told the court.
Due to security reasons, accused persons were produced through video conferencing from the court's lockup amid heavy security deployment.
The court asked the accused if there was any injury or torture during the police custody. All the accused persons replied in the negative.
There was some ruckus erupted by some lawyers at the main gate of the court premises, which was later pacified by the police and other lawyers.
The IO told the court earlier it was said that Deepak was driving the car. Later on, it was revealed through the CDR that he was planted as accused as he has a driving licence.
He also submitted that one person Ashutosh and one other person are to be arrested.
On court query, the IO submitted that Sections 120B, 304, 279 and other sections under IPC have been invoked before the police custody.
The court appointed Legal Aid Counsel (LAC) for four accused persons.
Citing the Kanjhawala case as a mere accident case, Advocate Gajendra Panwar, counsel for one of the accused-- Manoj Mittal, opposed the extension of police custody remand. He submitted that enough time has been given to the police.
The court allowed Advocate Gajendra Pawar and Manoj Mittal's Kin to meet him after he complained that they are not being allowed to meet the accused Manoj Mittal.
