High Court slams police for delaying investigation into Taniam’s death

The Delhi high court also remarked that the lack of “stern action” from the police has aggravated cases of racist slurs and attacks.

Expressing strong objection to the Delhi police for its inability to produce the post-mortem report in a fact-tracked case on the death of 19-year old student from Arunachal Pradesh, the Delhi high court on Friday said such delays were affecting the people’s faith “not only in police and administration but also the courts.”

A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw directed the police to submit the post-mortem report of Nido Taniam (also spelt as Tania) by Monday after counsel Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Delhi police, told the court that despite all efforts the post-mortem reports of Tania was not ready.

Krishnan submitted the CBI’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory will take few more days to come out with the toxicology and viscera results. He, however, assured the court that the police would not take more than 15 days to file the charge sheet in the case once the post-mortem report was made available.

Earlier the court had raised questions over reports of the police dropping Tania at the same spot after being picked up for the fight. Krishnan, however, defended the police and said Tania was brought back to the police station after the incident.

Explaining the broad sequence of the events, Krishnan said, “Tania went to the police station after the fight, from where he was taken to the spot. Later police brought him back to the police station and handed him over to a friend.”

Posting the matter for further hearing on Monday, the bench also ordered the police to inform the court on the average number of post mortems required everyday in Delhi. The bench said it will give direction to the Centre and Delhi government if it find that the post-mortem reports were getting delayed due to lack of infrastructure in hospitals here.

“The affidavit should disclose the reasons for the delays in taking up the post mortem and in preparation of report thereof,” the bench directed adding that the delay in getting post-mortem reports was causing “huge” backlog of pending criminal cases.

The Delhi high court also remarked that the lack of “stern action” from the police has aggravated cases of racist slurs and attacks.

The court took notice from a group of people from the north-east that 26 cases of harassment had taken place towards people from their region in the recent past in Delhi.

The bench ordered police to submit the status of investigations on the 26 cases with details including the FIRs registered on the complaints.

The bail pleas of two men arrested here for the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania will be taken up for hearing Feb 11 by a special court for cases of atrocities on the Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri listed the bail applications of Sunder Singh and Pawan for February 11 after the public prosecutor sought time for filing reply in the matter.

Delhi Police have opposed the bail plea of the two accused, saying that investigation in the case is at initial stage.