Police pulled up for lackadaisical molestation probe

A court in the national capital has pulled up Delhi Police for its lackadaisical attitude in investigating a molestation case and said such conduct was contributing towards creating lawlessness in society.

The observation by Metropolitan Magistrate Geetanjali came while acquitting two men, Rakesh and Vinod, of the charges of molesting and grievously injuring a woman, taking into account that the prosecution failed to prove its case.

The court observed that the investigating officer (IO) probed the case in a "most callous manner" and the case failed just because of his probe.

"The present case is a live example of gross negligence on the part of the IO in investigating the case and the benefit has squarely gone to the accused people.

"Due to such conduct of the police, the confidence of the common man in them is eroding fast and is contributing in creating lawlessness in the society," the court said in an order delivered recently but which was released Thursday.

The court also directed that a copy of the order be sent to the deputy commissioner of police in northeast Delhi for taking disciplinary action against the investigating officer.

According to the prosecution, Rakesh and Vinod had assaulted the woman, uttered some objectionable words and also injured her grievously in September 2008 in Harsh Vihar area of north Delhi.

The court noted that the police complaint was lodged in the case in November 2008 without plausible explanation by the investigating officer to justify the delay, though police visited the house of the complainant on the very day of the incident.

It also observed that there were several contradictions in the statements of the victim and the investigating officer.