DELHI HIGH COURT SLAMS DELHI POLICE FOR REPORT ON
GANG RAPE CASE
The Delhi High Court on Friday slammed the
police for being “evasive” in its probe status report in providing details of
its officers on patrol duty in the area covered by the bus in which a young
paramedical girl was gang raped for about 40 minutes.“In the (earlier) order,
the police commissioner was also directed to file a report giving details of
the police officers patrolling in the area and the action taken in this aspect.“On
this aspect a report is filed... We have gone through the report and we are not
convinced. None of the details of the police officers have been mentioned,” a
bench headed by Chief Justice D Murugesan said.The court expressed its
unhappiness and said, “We make it clear such a report, giving all the details,
be filed without any delay.”
The bench, also comprising Justice Rajiv
Sahai Endlaw, made the observation after perusing the status report filed by
Delhi Police through its DCP Chhaya Sharma in pursuance of the earlier order by
which the court had taken suo moto cognizance of the incident.The hearing
commenced with the court posing a query as to why the report was “evasive”
about the details of the police officers who were on patrolling duty during the
time when the girl was sexually assaulted and beaten for about 40 minutes in a
moving bus on Sunday night.During the hearing, Justice Murugesan expressed his
anguish and said, “It is an evasive report. You have not given any detail of
police officers who were on duty. We will write in our order that a
comprehensive report is not filed.”
Najmi Waziri, appearing for the city
police, tried to pacify the bench saying “I agree that more details should have
come before the court. Entire bureaucracy is seized of the matter and our
primary focus is to investigate the case.”He assured the bench that a more
elaborate report will be filed later.The court has now fixed the matter for further
hearing on January 9.The bench had on December 19 taken suo motu cognisance of
the gang rape incident and had decided to monitor its probe by directing police
to carry a “high standard” investigation and file the chargesheet only after
the court’s perusal.“Nobody is safe,” the court had said noting that such
incidents repeatedly happen in the city.It had asked the police how the bus,
having tinted glasses, kept plying on busy roads for 40 minutes and the sexual
assault remained undetected.The court had directed the Police Commissioner
Neeraj Kumar to file a status report within two days giving all details.
During today’s hearing, the court directed
the Delhi Government to look into the lack of infrastructure and other facility
at Central Forensice Science Laboratory (CFSL).“We are informed that there is
no director at the CFSL and there are two deputy directors in the CFSL who are
not competent and leads to delay of one to two years in the investigation.“Evidence
is lost. They don’t accept any sample as there is shortage of chemicals also.
If it is so, then please rectify it immediately,” the bench said.The court,
however, disallowed the plea of a woman lawyer that the 23-year-old girl be
shifted to Apollo Hospital here.“As far as this request is concerned, we have
already noted in our previous order that the victim, if possible be shifted to
a super speciality hospital for the best treatment,” it said.The court allowed
the submission of Waziri that the report be kept in sealed cover as it contains
crucial and sensitive information relating to the ongoing probe in the case.
Prof.
John Kurakar
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