Delhi Police chief gets HC notice on advocates' complaint

The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner and the Gandhi Nagar police station chief on a plea filed by two lawyers who alleged verbal abuse and physical assault on them by city police officials.

Justice Sunil Gaur, seeking response from the police chief and the Gandhi Nagar station house officer (SHO), also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file its response to the plea for independent inquiry into the incident.

The court also asked deputy commissioner of police, east Delhi, to conduct an inquiry and to file a status report by May 23.

Advocates Nikhil Mehta and Milan Malhotra, who filed the plea, said that the incident occcurred late Wednesday night when they were sitting in their car, parked in front of Mehta's house, and discussing about the matters listed before the court the following day.

They said the SHO, who was on patrol with two other police personnel, stopped his vehicle next to their car and without any provocation or reason, started using abusive and unparliamentary language against them.

The lawyers alleged that the policemen, who were under the influence of liquor, assaulted them physically.

Their plea sought direction to the police commissioner for protecting the petitioners and their family members from the SHO and his companions as well as his subordinates from Geeta Colony police station. They also sought transferring of the investigation to the CBI from police officials of Geeta Colony police station.

The advocates claimed that senior officers of Delhi Police, who were informed of the incident, were not taking action against the culprits but instead pressurizing them to settle the matter without insisting on any action under the law.