Restaurant encounter: Police team transferred, vigilance probe launched

Nine policemen, who were part of the team which had gunned down Manoj Vashishth in an alleged encounter at a city restaurant on Saturday night, were today transferred after the deceased's family expressed concern that they may influence probe.
The city police top brass also launched a vigilance probe into the case which is separate from the SIT and magisterial inquiries already underway.
The decision was taken after Vashishth's widow Priyanka and other family members, who are alleging that he was killed in a fake encounter, met Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi and demanded a fair probe into the case.

Vashishth's family met the Police Commissioner at his office at Police Headquarters here this morning and shared their grievances. Bassi sympathised with them and assured of an impartial investigation in the case, officials said.
Following the assurances, Vashishth's family agreed to cremate his body. They had earlier refused to accept the body from the morgue.
"On family's demand that the team's members should be transferred so that they cannot affect probe, nine members of the team which had carried out the operation in which Vashishth was gunned down have been transferred," said Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat.

The Police Commissioner has also ordered a vigilance inquiry into the case to probe family's allegations that the policemen were trying to extort money from Vashishth (45).

Meanwhile, the SIT is examining seven CCTV footages that were installed inside the restaurant.
It will also record the statements of 40 eye-witnesses who were present at the time of the encounter. Out of 40 people, many were identified and have been questioned.
Inspector Dharmender Kumar, who was leading the team which had raided Sagar Ratna restaurant in New Rajinder Nagar on Saturday night to nab Vashishth, has been transferred to IGI Airport.