Ramlila Maidan crackdown: court rejects accused cops' plea

A Delhi court has rejected the plea of five Delhi Police personnel, accused in the June 2011 Ram Lila Maidan midnight crackdown on yoga guru Ramdev's rally, against a notice issued to them by a magisterial court in the case.
Additional Sessions Judge Narinder Kumar rejected the petition of the five cops who had challenged the magisterial court order by which notices were issued to them to appear before it for the case against them to proceed further.
The order came on a plea of Sub-Inspector Sushil Kumar, Head Constable Vijender Singh and Constables Krishan Pal, Ravi and Dinesh Kumar who have been charge sheeted by the Delhi Police under section 336 IPC (endangering life and personal safety of others) during the June 4-5, 2011 midnight police crackdown on Ramdev's anti-graft campaigners at Ram Lila ground here.

On October 2, 2012 a magisterial court had served a notice on them seeking their appearance in the case to face the proceedings while observing that the cognizance of the offence has already been taken and the case has to proceed further.
The order was challenged on the ground that the magistrate took cognizance of the offence after expiry of the limitation period of three months from the date of the incident as provided in the Delhi Police Act.
The ASJ, however, held that "in view of the specific directions issued by the apex court on February 23, 2011 giving three months' time to the police for investigation and presentation of charge sheet and also having regard to the fact that it took sufficient time in establishing the identity of the accused police officers, this court finds that the bar under the Delhi Police Act is not attracted.