Court rejects closure report filed by Delhi Police in case of suicide by minor over alleged beating

Nov 21, 2022

New Delhi [India], November 21 : A Delhi Court recently rejected the closure report filed by Delhi Police in a case of suicide by a minor over alleged beating and torture in 2014. The father of deceased moved a protest petition against closure report.
This matter pertains to Karawal Nagar Police Station, where two cops were accused of beating a minor.
The petition alleged that the minor was arrested by constable Ankit and Head Constable Ramesh November 14, 2014. He was allegedly beaten and tortured in the police station and was threatened to be falsely implicated in a criminal case, if he failed to pay them Rs 10,000. He was released at 2 AM on November 15, 2014.
Metropolitan magistrate Vaibhav Kumar rejected the closure report after considering the protest petition filed by deceased minor's father.
The court noted lapses in the investigation on the part of Delhi police.
"First and foremost, it is to be noted that allegations have been levelled against two police officials Ankit and Ramesh. However, neither of them has been interrogated nor their statements have been recorded by the investigation Officer," the court noted.
The court also noted, "If there was no complaint, then why was the deceased being detained at the police station, also, the FIR which pertains to this incident of theft of the bicycle has been registered on February 9, 2015 i.e., after the death of the deceased minor.
No papers regarding the apprehension of the deceased minor stating time of his apprehension or any statement of the deceased have been placed on record by the IO, the court noted in the order of November 14, 2022.
Lastly, why the FIR was not registered under appropriate section of IPC when the deceased was a minor of 17 years of age at the time of his death, the court raised a question.
In the view of above discussion, this court does not accept the closure report in the matter and deems it fit to order further investigation, the court ordered.
The court has directed to send the copy of order to SHO Karawal Nagar for necessary compliance and directed to file a report on December 5, 2022.
The complainant has filed a protest petition for this closure report stating that the IO has not recorded statements of the public persons rather he has forged the statements of the witnesses in order to protect the accused persons.
It was also alleged that the IO has not recorded the statements of Yogesh and Rahul who were also apprehended and taken to the police station along with the deceased. Thirdly, the IO has not recorded the statements of the accused persons during the investigation.
In this matter it was alleged that on November 14, 2014, two constables Ankit and Ramesh took away the complainant's son forcibly to the police station and threatened the complainant to pay Rs 10,000 else they would falsely implicate him in a case of theft of a bicycle belonging to one Gaurav.
The complainant did not visit the police station in fear. It is alleged that his son was released at about 2:00 a.m. at the intervening night and both the police constables had brutally beaten up him and asked him to bring money otherwise they will implicate him in various other cases also, due to which the son of the complainant got scared, the complainant had alleged
On the next day on November 15, 2014, when the son of the complainant was alone at home, being under fear, the son had committed suicide by hanging himself with a rope.
The FIR was ordered to be registered by the court on an application on July 25, 2016.
During investigation, the IO has recorded statement of the complainant, his brother-in-law, the owner of the bicycle and various other public persons and subsequently filed a closure report stating that the child committed suicide due to the scolding of his father.