4 min readNew DelhiJan 10, 2025 02:19 AM IST
First published on: Jan 10, 2025 at 02:19 AM IST
Observing that the investigating officer (IO) in an attempt to murder case is “acting like a Godfather of criminals”, a Delhi court Wednesday came down heavily on the Delhi Police and directed the Joint Commissioner of Police concerned to take action on the “deliberate defective investigation”.
The observations came in the case of an attempt to murder and Arms Act registered at Jahangirpuri police station. The court was hearing the anticipatory bail plea of one of the accused.
The case pertains to March 2; seven people were involved, two of whom were juveniles. The chargesheet was filed against one accused, Gaurav. The Station House Officer (SHO) of Jahangirpuri submitted that co-accused Suraj Bhatia, Gagan Bhatia and Govinda Bhatia and their family members are notorious people and two of them are ‘bad characters’ of the area.
Dhirendra Rana, ASJ/Special Judge, Rohini Court, in the order passed on Wednesday, said the case is a blatant example of how the IO can misuse his power under the garb of exercising his discretion. “As per the complaint, seven accused persons were involved in the incident and the victim suffered a bullet injury on his head. The present accused/applicant and co-accused Gagan Bhatia… approached the sessions court for anticipatory bail and (it) was dismissed vide order dated June 1. When co-accused persons approached the Hon’ble High Court for anticipatory bail, the application was dismissed,” the order stated.
Despite the dismissal of the anticipatory bail application, the court said the IO, Sub-Inspector Medha Lal, did not investigate the matter against any of them. “The reason is apparent that he is trying to become a shield for the accused,” the order noted.
The judge also added that since the accused are residents of Jahangirpuri, and some of them are bad characters of the area, identifying and tracing them should not have been a difficult task for the IO.
“If the IO, Sub-Inspector Medha Lal, has not taken any action against accused persons, then the court is not hesitant to say that it is a stage of complete lawlessness where IO is acting like a Godfather of criminals,” it added.
The order also directed the office of the Joint CP to share an action taken report with the court in 15 days.
The order also states that after the lapse of more than 10 months, only one accused, Gaurav, has been chargesheeted. Along with the present application, an affidavit of the complainant has been annexed to support the fact that he has already settled his matter with the accused persons.
“If the IO is hell-bent on safeguarding the accused persons… then there is no option left with the complainant but to accede to the pressure of the accused persons and to settle the matter. It is a matter of record that accused Suraj Bhatia, Govinda Bhatia and Gagan Bhatia are involved in several other criminal cases of murder and other heinous offences,” the judge said.
“Since the DCP and ACP concerned and the SHO have failed to supervise the conduct of SI Medha Lal, this court has no option but to bring the matter to the knowledge of the Joint CP concerned, so that such kind of erring police official may be held countable for his malpractice and deliberate defective investigation,” the judge said in the order.
The order further directed the office of the Joint CP to share an action taken report in 15 days.
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