Court asks police authorities to check malpractices in force

Unhappy with the probe in a robbery case, a court here said it had put a "serious question mark" on functioning of Delhi Police and asked senior officials to take steps to check any "malpractices" in the force.
The court's observation came in a judgement acquitting two persons of charges of voluntarily causing hurt to a man and robbing him here in April 2011.
It said victim Lalu Gautam did not identify the accused -- Aftab and Sanjay -- and also testified that the mobile phone, allegedly recovered from them, did not belong to him.
"When victim (Gautam) neither identified the accused as the assailants in this incident of robbery and nor did he identify mobile phone allegedly recovered from accused Aftab ..., the entire prosecution story becomes doubtful and rather it creates serious question mark on functioning and proceeding of Police," District Judge J R Aryan said.

"It needs to be taken care by senior police authorities. Accordingly, copy of this judgement be sent to DCP/ Additional CP, North East District to take steps to check any malpractice if prevailing in police force," the court said.
According to police, on April 5, 2011 Gautam was robbed and assaulted by three persons, including a juvenile, at Yamuna Vihar here.

The police claimed that while on night patrolling in the area on April 5, 2011, they heard noises from the spot and saw that three boys, including a juvenile, were assaulting Gautam.
Gautam's mobile phone was found in possession of Aftab, it said, adding, proceedings against the juvenile were referred to the Juvenile Justice Board.

During the trial, Gautam did not support the prosecution's story and told the court that three boys had robbed him on April 5, 2011 and he had gone to Gokalpuri Police Station here and had lodged a complaint in this regard.
However, recording of Gautam's statement could not be concluded by the court as he did not appear before it later.
The court acquitted both the accused saying, "testimony of victim falsify the prosecution case itself".