Saket Court Orders Probe Into Alleged Fake Delhi Police Encounter
On July 2, a city court at Saket Courts ordered an independent probe into allegations that Delhi Police officers illegally detained, tortured, and staged a fake encounter shooting of a 29-year-old man accused in an Arms Act case. Judicial Magistrate First Class Rahul Jain directed a Special Commissioner-rank officer to investigate the claims, which include allegations that a high-ranking Deputy Commissioner of Police was present at the scene.
The accused, identified as Pramod, alleged that he was illegally detained from the Sarai Kale Khan bus stand on June 10, blindfolded, and taken to an unknown forest location. According to court records, Pramod claimed police personnel threatened to execute him due to his criminal history. He alleged he was beaten, hung upside down, stripped to his undergarments, and shot in the leg after a cloth was tied below his knee. He also alleged that DCP (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari was present at the spot.
DCP Tiwari denied all allegations, stating that he was on approved leave at the time and calling the charges "false and malicious."
The official police version of the arrest, released on June 10, stated that Pramod was apprehended after a brief exchange of fire in Lajpat Nagar-IV. Police claimed Pramod, whom they described as a habitual robber involved in 23 criminal cases, fired at them first, prompting a constable to shoot him in the right leg in self-defence. They reported recovering a country-made pistol, a spent cartridge, seven stolen mobile phones, and a motorcycle.
In the July 2 order, Judicial Magistrate First Class Rahul Jain stressed that the allegations required an independent probe. He directed that no officer from the concerned district be associated with the inquiry to ensure impartiality.
The court ordered the matter to be placed before Special Commissioner of Police Neeraj Thakur. The court also directed the immediate preservation and seizure of CCTV footage and DVR records from the Sarai Kale Khan bus stand, as well as the preservation of location charts for every member of the police raiding party.
Additionally, the court instructed jail authorities to provide proper medical treatment to Pramod, noting that he was unable to walk and required a wheelchair. The inquiry is to be conducted in accordance with the Supreme Court's guidelines in PUCL vs State of Maharashtra (2014) regarding police encounter investigations.
