Delhi protest: Could not provide complaint receipt due to ‘system glitch’, cops tell HC
The complainant moved the Delhi High Court, alleging the Parliament Street police station did not issue an acknowledgement of the receipt of the complaint.
The Delhi Police said it could not provide the acknowledgement of a complaint that accused officers of allegedly using “excessive force” against protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20 owing to a “temporary technical glitch”.
The submission was made by the government’s counsel on a plea by Anand Legal Aid Forum Trust before the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.
According to the Trust, it had lodged a written complaint, dated July 22, at Parliament Street police station on July 23.
In its plea, the Trust said its complaint was against Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar; Joint Commissioner Madhur Verma; Additional DCP Sandeep Lamba; CRPF/RAF Assistant Commandant Sonia Sehrawat; SHO Navin Rathi; three other police personnel, and hundreds of unidentified Delhi Police, RAF and CRPF personnel.
It said its complaint disclosed cognisable offences “for the commission of attempt to murder; use/firing from pellet guns; use of iron rod; brutal, unprovoked, and illegal baton/lathi-charge; electric shocked (using) police baton… on unarmed peaceful protesters” on July 20.
The Trust, through its lawyer Abhijit Anand, told Justice Prateek Jalan that he was refused an acknowledgement of the receipt of the complaint by the on-duty officer and station house officer of Parliament Street.
Justice Jalan asked the state’s counsel: “No complaints on that day were acknowledged (at the Parliament Street police station)?”
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The state submitted that owing to a “temporary technical glitch”, the system was unable to generate acknowledgment of receipt of the complaint, and assured the court that it will be provided now.
Justice Jalan, addressing the State, remarked, “Let’s see to it that the systems are working.”
Disposing of the plea, Justice Jalan recorded in his order, “… counsel for the State submits that the acknowledgement was not given on the date due to a temporary technical glitch and acknowledgment, along with DD number, will be generated and given during the course of the day.”
When a complaint disclosing cognisable offences is filed at a police station, the complainant must be provided with a stamped acknowledgement.
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While the Trust had sought criminal prosecution of the Parliament Street police station officers for refusing to lodge an FIR based on the complaint, and for failing to provide the stamped acknowledgement, it did not emphasise on the request during the hearing.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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