The Delhi high court on Friday slammed the Delhi Police for being evasive in its probe status report and in providing details of its officers on patrol duty in the area covered by the bus in which a young paramedical girl was gang-raped for about 40 minutes.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Murugesan said: “In the earlier order, the police commissioner was directed to file a report giving details of the police officers patrolling in the area and the action taken in this aspect. We have gone through the report and we are not convinced. None of the details of the police officers have been mentioned.” The court expressed its unhappiness and said, “We make it clear such a report, giving all the details, be filed without any delay.”
The court made the observation after perusing the status report filed by Delhi Police through its DCP Chhaya Sharma in pursuance of the earlier order by which the court had taken suo motu cognizance of the incident.
During the hearing, Justice Murugesan expressed his anguish and said, “It is an evasive report. You have not given any detail of police officers who were on duty. We will write in our order that a comprehensive report is not filed.”
Najmi Waziri, appearing for the police, tried to pacify the bench saying: “I agree that more details should have come before the court. Entire bureaucracy is seized of the matter and our primary focus is to investigate the case.”
The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on 9 January. The bench had earlier this week took suo motu cognisance of the gang rape incident and had decided to monitor its probe by directing police to carry a high standard investigation and file the charge sheet only after the court’s perusal. It had asked the police how the bus, having tinted glasses, kept plying on busy roads for 40 minutes and the sexual assault remained undetected.
The court also directed the Delhi government to look into the lack of infrastructure and other facility at Central Forensice Science Laboratory (CFSL).
