New Delhi | Updated: December 25, 2015 11:37 PM IST
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On a Delhi court directive, police have registered an FIR against the owner of a restaurant in South East Delhi on charges of murder and causing disappearance of evidence in connection with the mysterious death of a chef.
The chef’s body was found inside the restaurant’s kitchen on July 11. Police have registered the case against Navdeep Singh, the owner of Fidahh Restaurant at Epicura Mall in Nehru Place metro station.
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The court has asked the concerned assistant commissioner of police to supervise the investigation of the case. It has also directed the police to file a report of the investigation on October 16.
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“The careful perusal of the present complaint and annexed documents and appreciating of submissions prima facie reveal death of victim Rohit in suspicious circumstances. The report of SHO stating therein that the deceased slept in the kitchen of the restaurant in inebriated condition with two other employees and was found dead in the next morning, itself raises unanswered questions,” said Metropolitan Magistrate Arvind Bansal.
On July 10, Rohit informed his family he had quit his job at Fidahh Restaurant and was going to collect his dues from the owner, according to his brother’s complaint.
Navdeep informed him Rohit was unwell, according to the complaint.
Rohit’s brother had moved the court, seeking directions to the police to probe the role of owner based on evidence including call detail records and CCTV footage.
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Pulling up the police for stating it was awaiting the final forensic report to register the FIR against the owner, the court said, “It is beyond comprehension that police is awaiting the final outcome of the viscera analysis and autopsy surgeon’s report to decide the registration of the case.”
“In the opinion of the court, the complainant requires the assistance of state machinery to bring out the true facts of and reasons behind the death of the brother. It may not be possible to prove the allegations merely by leading evidence.”
Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.
With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health.
His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award.
Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time.
Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More
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