Northeast Delhi violence: Court pulls up police for not lodging FIR on segregated complaints
Jul 26, 2022
New Delhi [India], July 26 : A Delhi court pulled up the police for not taking action or lodging an FIR on segregated complaints related to incidents of violence in the Gokal Puri area during the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020. Police had clubbed many complaints into one FIR.
The Court has called for a report from Delhi Police and the matter has been referred to DCP (North East) to look into it. SHO and ACP have been directed to appear in person on the next date of hearing on August 3, 2022.
Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachal of Karkardooma Court said," Much of the time elapsed and the investigation agency cannot afford to waste further time, in the name of taking separate action on those complaints."
The Court also said, " Since FIR is the same and till it is not informed as if any separate FIR has been registered on the basis of those complaints, it shall be the duty of the Investigation Officer (IO) to inform this court as well, about the status of action taken on those complaints. A concrete report of action taken must be filed in this court also, for information."
Keeping in view inaction on those complaints so far, the matter is referred to DCP (North-East) to look into this matter and similar kinds of matters/cases, so as to expedite the process of action on other complaints, for which the prosecution has not opted to prosecute in the charge sheet filed before this court, order of July 23, 2022 reads.
The court noted that a period of three and half months has been over but no action was taken on order passed by the court on April 4, 2022. The court said, " It could not be explained by IO and Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) as to in this period of three and half months, what steps have been taken in respect of segregated complaints regarding an incident of February 24, 2020."
The court also noted that on April 4, 2022, it was informed to the court that complaints regarding an incident of February 24, 2020, were being segregated and separate proceedings would be initiated on those complaints.
It was also informed to the court that in this charge sheet, 17 complaints would be considered only in respect of complaints related to an incident of February 25, 2020, or regarding where there is no clear date of the incident.
IO presented in the court informed that a new IO Sub Inspector Dharmender has been appointed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), but that IO is not taking interest in the matter.
The Court has directed SHO and ACP to appear in person along with a concrete report of action taken so far in this case, for the purpose of prosecution in this case well as for the purpose of action taken in respect of segregated complaints.