‘Undue delay and hampering probe process’: Bengaluru police suspend inspector for negligence in murder investigation

“The inquiries established that the inspector failed to register the FIR at the initial stage, despite the offence falling within his jurisdiction. No immediate or effective action was taken after the incident was reported, resulting in undue delay and hampering the progress of the investigation.”

The victim, Deepak, a delivery agent, developed severe health complications following an assault, and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead on the evening of September 8.

The murder was reported within the jurisdiction of the Jnanabharathi Police Station. Inspector Ravi allegedly failed to register a First Information Report, and instead registered a zero FIR, citing jurisdictional issues, and transferred the case to the Tavarekere Police Station in Bengaluru South district.

The Tavarekere police registered the case under charges of murder and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on September 9, 2025. After the case was moved out of Jnanabharathi limits, a spot inspection by the Tavarekere police, however, confirmed that the crime scene fell within Jnanabharathi jurisdiction, following which the case was returned. Despite this, the case was shuttled multiple times, causing avoidable and significant delays in the investigation.

A regular FIR was ultimately registered by the Jnanabharathi police on September 13, several days after the incident.

The police said that even after the case was formally returned, the inspector did not take immediate or effective investigative steps, including collecting evidence or identifying the accused. The prolonged inaction forced the victim’s family to approach senior police officers, eventually triggering a departmental inquiry.

Police officers said the omissions amounted to a clear violation of established procedures and constituted dereliction of duty in the handling of a serious crime. The Commissioner’s order stressed that discipline, accountability, and prompt action are critical in grave offences and warned that negligence in delivering justice will not be tolerated.