"Delhi Court Takes Strong Action Against Delhi Police's Handling of Riot Cases
A Delhi court has expressed serious dissatisfaction with the Delhi Police's handling of two cases related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. In one case involving the burning of a residence belonging to Saheen Saifi (State v. Mohd. Farooq etc), the court criticized both the special public prosecutor (SPP) and a Delhi Police official for what it termed as "misleading" the court regarding the status of crucial evidence.
The court's order, issued last Friday by Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala, highlighted that the SPP and SI Rajiv had provided incorrect information to the court, asserting that a video needed for the trial was still awaited from a forensic laboratory. Subsequently, it was revealed that the video in question had never even been in possession of the laboratory at that time. The court condemned this behavior, cautioning against any recurrence of such actions.
In another case (State v. Shah Alam etc), the same court raised concerns about the Investigating Officer's inconsistent approach in probing six cases that were consolidated due to their close temporal and geographical links. The court noted that a site plan was prepared for only three out of the six incidents under investigation, signaling an apparent double standard in the handling of evidence.
Judge Pramachala criticized the Investigating Officer's apparent disregard for the court's directive to create a comprehensive calendar of evidence. This calendar was meant to aid the court in assessing the evidence put forth by the prosecution and identifying any gaps. The court held that both investigations seemed inadequate and that the calendar of evidence was not prepared with due diligence.
Consequently, ASJ Pramachala ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police, North-East Delhi, to intervene in the matter. Despite acknowledging that such involvement might not fall under the DCP's typical responsibilities, the court underscored the need to address the lapses and discrepancies evident in the investigations.
The court mandated that a consolidated site plan encompassing all the incident locations relevant to the case be submitted by the upcoming hearing on September 15th. The court's stern stance underscores the importance of thorough and unbiased investigations in cases of such significance."
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TAGS: "Delhi Court Delhi Police northeast Delhi riots investigation court criticism evidence status video evidence forensic laboratory misleading information special public prosecutor Investigating Officer site plan double standard consolidated case calendar of evidence lapses Deputy Commissioner of Police ASJ Pulastya Pramachala case hearing September 15th."
