Sultanpuri hit & drag case: 11 police personnel suspended after MHA order

The police investigation into the death of the woman showed how despite multiple distress calls, PCR vans had not responded immediately

Acting on the union ministry of home affairs (MHA) order in the Sultanpuri hit and drag case, 11 policemen have been placed under suspension; police officials said on Friday.

The MHA had also directed the commissioner to serve show-cause notice to investigation officer (IO). (ANI image)

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had on Thursday directed Delhi police to suspend the police personnel deployed in the police control room (PCR) vans that night when the 20-year-old woman was hit by a car and then dragged for almost 14 km underneath before it dislodged in a mangled state and was spotted by a passer-by.

Among those suspended are 2 sub inspectors, four assistant sub inspectors, 4 head constables and 1 constable. 5 of them were posted in the picket on the road, while 6 were posted in the PCR vans.

The police investigation into the death of the woman showed how despite multiple distress calls, PCR vans had not responded immediately.

This lapse allowed the four men in the car to drive with Anjali’s body underneath for nearly two and a half hours.

Multiple CCTV footages from the stretch have also shown presence of PCR vans on the stretch in Sultanpuri at the time, when the five men were driving the Maruti Baleno car with Anjali’s body stuck underneath.

A senior police officer said, “As approved by competent authority, a total of 11 policemen of Rohini district deployed on route at police control room vans and pickets have been suspended in view of Sultanpuri incident on January 1”.

The directions came after special commissioner of police Shalini Singh submitted her report to the ministry as assigned to her after the matter was reported.

Delhi Police, in its report, had flagged inadequate action by officials in three PCR vans and two pickets along with local district police.

The MHA had also directed the commissioner to serve show-cause notice to investigation officer (IO) in the case for “lack of investigation”.

The woman was riding a scooty with her friend in Sultanpuri on the night of December 31 when the two were hit by a grey Baleno.

While the friend fell on one side, the woman fell towards the front and the impact entangled her body to the underside of the car, which then drove on for at least two hours, dragging her body for at least 14km before it dislodged in a mangled state and was found by local residents in outer Delhi’s Kanjhawala around 4am.

An eyewitness identified as Deepak Dahiya said he saw three PCR vans when he was following the Baleno with the body underneath.