'Police Appear To Have Acted As Criminals, Protectors Are Not Supposed To Become Predators; Court Raps Delhi Police For Illegal Midnight Raid

A Delhi Court has recently rapped the Delhi Police for barging into the house of a man at about 2:30 am in the middle of the night after observing that such an illegal act of raiding, ransacking, causing injuries to the man and his family members without any reason can be termed as 'worst state of affairs.

Observing that protectors are not supposed to become predators, Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Bedi said that far from performing their duties, the police officials appeared to have acted as criminals.

"In Bible, saying is "if the salt has lost its flavour, wherewith shall it be salted?" or as the ancient Romans would generally say "Who will guard the Praetorian guards?" The house of the applicant was raided on alleged specific information as mentioned in police Report," the Court said.

According to the State, it was submitted that the raid was conducted pursuant to secret information recieved that two criminals were hiding in his house.

The Court was of the view that ex facie there was nothing in support of the fact of alleged specific information with police that the applicant was sheltering the accused persons.

"It is imperative on their part to conduct the investigation strictly in accordance with law, in fair and impartial manner, without being influenced by any extraneous considerations.   The protectors are not supposed to become predators"

The development came after the man filed an anticipatory bail in the matter. It was his case that the police persons extended brutal beatings to him with legs and fist blows as well as with butt of firearms and some sharp-edged weapons in their hands.

"Present is a serious matter where, 6 police officials as  directed by their superiors (Narcotics South) engaged prima facie in an illegal act i.e. barging into house of applicant (few of them in uniform) in the middle of the night, kept knocking the door for about an hour to arrest applicant on mere suspicion of his being involved in sheltering other accused persons," the Court said.

Further, the Court was of the view that there was prima facie nothing in support of the reason of the alleged raid conducted by police party ordered by their superiors.

Accordingly, the man was granted anticipatory bail by the Court and the Court has ordered that;

"The   Joint   Commissioner   Police is   further directed to enquire into the number of such alleged raids conducted by police teams at the behest of Addl. DCP (South) during his tenure as Addl. DCP(South) and Report within 2 weeks.".

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