‘Gangster’ shot in leg: Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana orders inquiry

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Kumar Meena had said he expects the Delhi Police commissioner to order an independent investigation by the CID or the police team of another station under the supervision of a senior officer.

“The court has to convey with a heavy heart that today we are celebrating 72nd Constitution Day and despite the presence of constitutional and statutory provisions, incidents of custodial violence are increasing, which is nothing but alarming and depressing. This is a matter of deep concern, as it is done/ committed by a person who is supposed to be the protector of citizens; it is committed under the shield of uniform and authority in a situation where the victim is totally helpless,” the court said.

The court said “there is ample material, which is making this encounter an apparent case of dubious, staged and suspected encounter”.

Gehlot had told the court he was picked up from his home by four officers to meet the DCP, taken to some flats in Dwarka and later to Uttam Nagar, where he was shot in the leg after police blindfolded him.

Gehlot’s advocates told the court he was taken from his home by the police in a vehicle that belonged to one constable, Kulwant Singh, who informed the police about his movements and shot him in the leg. The defence counsel argued that Singh was the only person who wore a bulletproof jacket and took one bullet to his jacket in the encounter.

Last week, Gehlot’s family had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the police to transfer the two cases pertaining to him to an independent agency. Advocates Vaibhav Tomar, Kunal Sharma and Aditya Bhardwaj, appearing for Gehlot, requested the court to “issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing the respondent — DCP (Dwarka), ACP (Najafgarh), ACP (Dabri), SHO (Sector 23 Dwarka) and SHO (Uttam Nagar) – to file a report as to under what circumstances, the petitioner was taken away from his house on November 1”.