Police seek four more weeks’ time to probe alleged staged encounter

Delhi court probes police firing incident involving DCP Hemant Tiwari, accused of staging a fake encounter. Four-week inquiry will follow.

A Delhi court was informed that the enquiry into a police firing incident – where a 29-year-old Arms Act accused alleged that Delhi Police officers staged a fake encounter in the presence of deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Hemant Tiwari – has been assigned to the additional deputy commissioner of police (south) and will require four more weeks to conclude. The matter has now been listed for hearing on July 31.

Court had ordered an independent enquiry after Pramod, 29, an accused in an Arms Act case, alleged that police personnel illegally detained him, assaulted him and staged a fake encounter in which he was shot in the leg. (Representative photo)

The submission was made before judicial magistrate first class Rahul Jain of the Saket courts on Tuesday.

In an order on Monday, the court had directed police to preserve DCP Tiwari’s location data after the accused alleged that the officer was present at the spot during the alleged staged encounter. “It is directed that the location chart of DCP Hemant Tiwari, including CDRs, GPS/location logs, tower dumps and other electronic location records shall be preserved,” the court had said, while also seeking a compliance report.

DCP Tiwari has repeatedly denied all charges. “I was on approved leave at the time. All allegations are false and malicious. Matter is sub judice,” he said.

Last week, the court had ordered an independent enquiry after Pramod, 29, an accused in an Arms Act case, alleged that police personnel illegally detained him, assaulted him and staged a fake encounter in which he was shot in the leg.

Police maintained that Pramod, described as a habitual robber and snatcher, on June 10, opened fire at a raiding team in Lajpat Nagar-IV, forcing a constable to fire in self-defence. Police said they recovered a country-made pistol, a spent cartridge, seven suspected stolen mobile phones and a motorcycle allegedly used in crimes.

The defence, however, claimed the encounter was staged and sought preservation of CCTV footage from the Sarai Kale Khan bus stand, alleging that Pramod had actually been detained from there at 12:30 am on June 10.

In a compliance report, the SHO of Lajpat Nagar Police Station told the court that the CCTV footage of ISBT Sarai Kale Khan has been preserved, along with location chart of members of the raiding team.

Legal aid counsel Abhishek Sharma argued that while police have reported that the DCP was on leave on that day, Pramod had specifically named the DCP as present at the spot during the alleged “half-encounter”.

The court also directed the police to collect and preserve other relevant evidence, including a forensic ballistic opinion, analysis of gunshot residue (GSR), tattooing or charring around the wound of the accused to determine the fire distance and vehicle movement logs of the police party.