Sultanpuri horror: 11 cops suspended for negligence

The police investigation showed how despite multiple distress calls, PCR vans in the area did not respond immediately. This lapse allowed the four men in the car to drive with Anjali’s body underneath for nearly two and a half hours

Eleven Delhi Police personnel were suspended on Friday over alleged negligence in handling the gruesome Sultanpuri accident case, a day after Union ministry of home affairs directed Delhi Police commissioner to take action against the errant officers, a senior police officer aware of the matter said.

CCTV footage from the stretch has shown presence of PCR vans on Kanjhawala Road at the time, when the four men were driving Anjali Kumari’s body stuck underneath the car. (PTI)

However, no confirmation was available on adding charges of murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code -- another recommendation made by the MHA based on an investigation conducted by special commissioner of police Shalini Singh.

“As approved by competent authority, a total of 11 policemen of Rohini District deployed on the route taken by the accused have been suspended in the Sultanpuri incident on January 1,” the officer said. Among those suspended are two sub inspectors, four assistant sub inspectors, four head constables and one constable. While five of them were posted on road pickets in the area, six were deployed in the PCR vans, the officer added.

The 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 police commissioner to serve show cause notice to the investigating officer for “lack of investigation”.

Anjali Kumari, 20, was hit by a Baleno car on January 1 when she was returning home on her scooter. Kumari’s leg got stuck in the underside of the car, and she was dragged for nearly three hours on a stretch of over 14 kilometres. According to the post-mortem report, Kumari suffered at least 40 grievous wounds. Her skull was fractured and some brain matter was missing, her ribs were exposed from the back, and she suffered deep-cut wounds on both arms and forehead, the autopsy report showed.

The police investigation showed how despite multiple distress calls, PCR vans in the area did not respond 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 on Kanjhawala Road at the time, when the four men were driving Kumari’s body stuck underneath the car.

Police have arrested seven men in connection with the case. While five were arrested on the day of the incident, two were nabbed later. Initially, the five accused were booked on charges of causing death due to negligence (section 304-A) and rash driving (section 279). The police later added section 304(culpable homicide amounting to murder) to the FIR.

Accused were drunk

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) submitted it’s report in the investigation on the samples collected from the five accused who were arrested on January 1.

Citing the forensic report, a senior officer said the four men who were driving the car were drunk at the time of the accident. The officer who spoke on condition of anonymity refused to divulge more details.

Sanjeev Gupta, assistant director of FSL, said, “The report has been submitted, and it will help the police in their investigation.” He added that the vehicle inspection and observation report has also been submitted to the police. FSL officials had earlier said that they did not find any traces of Kumari’s presence inside the car.

The forensic laboratory has also submitted the viscera report of Kumari on Friday evening.

Kumari’s family has been demanding that murder charge, that is section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, be added to the FIR which is registered on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder so far. MHA has also directed Delhi Police to add murder charge in the case. However, senior officers remained unavailable to confirm whether the charge has been added.