Police tender apology to HC, submit fresh status report

Court told 74 of 670 PCR vehicles off road, repair-replacement proposal pending.

The Delhi Police on Thursday tendered an "unconditional apology" to Delhi High Court for the delay in filing a status report with details of names of "errant officers" against whom action had been taken following the gangrape and torture of a 23-year-old woman who died 13 days after the assault on board a bus on December 16.

The police also submitted a fresh status report with the names of two ACPs and four beat constables who have been suspended for "laxity".

"I tender my unconditional apology for not giving names of the policemen who were on duty in the PCR vans concerned, though their names have figured in the chargesheet as they are witnesses in the case," Dayan Krishnan, counsel for Delhi Police, said.

The bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K Jain had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and decided to monitor the investigation process.

In an order on December 19, the court had observed that the status report submitted by the police had stated that there were three PCR vans stationed along the route that the bus took. "If police officials who were on duty at the relevant point of time had been vigilant, the incident could possibly have been avoided," the court noted, adding that it had asked the police to file a report regarding the officers on duty that night.

In reports submitted on December 21 and January 9, the police did not give details of the officers concerned and the action taken against them. The court took a tough stand on the conduct of the police during the hearing on Wednesday.

In the report submitted on Thursday, the police said that there were only two police control room (PCR) vans on the route and not three as stated earlier.

... contd.

ALSO READ

37 years on, Urdu school faces second eviction

Civic agencies could lose Rs 100 crore a year if Haryana buys Rajokri toll plaza: Delhi chief secy

Ghalib returns home, his haveli opens today as public memorial

Cross at your own risk