Necessary to probe NGO member assault case: HC

The Delhi High Court today said it was necessary to investigate a case in which an NGO member, who has filed PILs drawing judicial scrutiny towards unauthorised construction in Delhi including in the Sainik Farms area, was brutally assaulted.
The court was informed by the Delhi Police that it has transferred the case to the Crime Branch.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said that a "murderous attack" was launched on a man who has filed various public interest litigations (PIL).
"It is necessary for the investigating agency to probe the matter," the bench said and listed the matter for November 24.

The bench had earlier asked the police to provide adequate security to H D Nijhawan, general secretary of NGO Paardarshita Public Welfare Foundation, who had claimed that he was brutally assaulted by some persons here on November 1.
It had asked the police to conduct a prompt investigation and "bring the culprits to book".

The applicant had said that the assailants smashed the front and rear windows of his car and hit him on the head with wooden stems and one of them also took out a gun to shoot him.
He had claimed that he was saved after passersby raised alarm which led the assailants to flee.

The NGO has filed several PILs in the high court against unauthorised construction in various parts of the city and alleging that such illegal buildings come up with the active connivance of the officials of the municipal corporations and Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
In some of these matters, the high court has also ordered a CBI probe to ascertain the role of the officials responsible for permitting unauthorised constructions to come up.