Necessary To Prevent Repetition Of Outside Police Entering Delhi For Operations Without Informing Local Police, Says High Court

The Delhi High Court on Thursday said that it is necessary to obviate repetition of cases where the police from other states conduct operations in the national capital without information or intimation to the Delhi Police.

As the counsel appearing for Delhi Police referred to various orders passed by court regarding it in the past, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said:

“Evidently, however, the history keeps repeating itself. In the circumstances, it is necessary to delve deeper into the matter to obviate the repetition of episodes such as this of police from outside states coming into Delhi and conducting operations without intimation to the local police.”

The court was hearing a plea of a young couple who was detained and taken away by Uttar Pradesh Police from their residence in Delhi to Ghaziabad last week.

A sub-inspector of Delhi Police was directed to collect CCTV footage of the cameras installed in and around the couple’s residence in an effort to identify who entered and exited the premises on the night of incident. 

During the hearing today, the court saw the footage filed on record and observed that it “appears to be truncated.” It said that the faces of the persons who came and took away the couple are not visible to the bare eye.

“I propose to take it forward as far as I can take it. These things sometimes come upon ... just complete roadblocks. We'll see. But this footage is not complete. It's truncated,” Justice Bhambhani said, adding, “We need as good as a special shot or some identifying shot as possible. At the same time, we summon the Standing Counsel of the State of UP in the Supreme Court. Then we take it forward from there.”

The court accordingly issued notice to DCP of CYPAD, Special Cell of Delhi Police and asked him to remain present or represented on March 9, the next date of hearing.

The court also directed CYPAD to examine the CCTV footage to obtain the facial shots of the persons who are seen in the the footage.

“Let notice be issued to the Advocate General of the State of UP in the Supreme Court, to remain present in court on the next date,” the court added.

It also directed the investigating officer to obtain the CCTV footage of the concerned area to see if the car or vehicle in which the persons visited the premises is available.

As the couple informed the court that they have relocated to another place in Delhi, the Delhi Police counsel submitted that copy of the protective order will be communicated to SHO of the concerned police station who will instruct and sensitize the beat constable and other persons to ensure compliance.

The court was hearing a plea moved by the couple for protection against threats to their life at the hands of the girl’s relatives. While the woman is 19 years old, the man is 21 years old.

The couple got married as per Hindu rites and ceremonies at an Arya Samaj Mandir in Delhi. A marriage certificate dated February 13 was also issued to them.

On February 16, the court had directed the SHO of Anand Parbat police station, under whose jurisdiction the couple was then residing, to ensure their safety and security against any threat by providing his as well as the concerned beat constable’s phone number.

However, the matter was urgently listed on February 18, after the couple alleged that certain persons, believed to be policemen from Uttar Pradesh’s Modi Nagar police station detained them and took them to Ghaziabad.

The court was last week informed that on the night of February 16 at 11:30 PM, UP police cops took them to Modi Nagar police station against their wishes, where the man spent the entire night in the lock-up.

They further said that the next day, the girl was escorted to a court sometime in the afternoon where her statement was recorded in a closed room. She was then brought back to the police station and the couple was allowed to leave.