Theft in Delhi metro: Court pulls up police for not seizing CCTV footage for investigation

The court observed that all the metro stations must be fitted with CCTV cameras and the investigating agency should have taken adequate steps to obtain the CCTV footage of the relevant metro station

New Delhi

The court observed that all the metro stations must be fitted with CCTV cameras and the investigating agency should have taken adequate steps to obtain the CCTV footage of the relevant metro station (PTI)

A Delhi court has pulled up police for not seizing the CCTV footage of a Metro station that could have easily captured the convicted persons involved in a theft case.

The court made the observation while convicting four persons who had targeted a woman during a metro journey between Chandni Chowk and Kashmere Gate in 2013. Accused Manju was held guilty of committing theft. The remaining accused- Asha, Ashok Kumar and Chander Shekhar- were held guilty of dishonestly receiving stolen property.

Two other accused, Devender and Vinod, were granted benefit of doubt and acquitted of all the charges.

According to prosecution, on January 30, 2013, complainant Paramjeet Kaur had come to Chandni Chowk Metro station. Accused Manju helped her in using the escalator and then later they boarded the metro together to reach Kashmere Gate metro station. But during the metro journey, Manju allegedly made Kaur smell some intoxicating substance.

A sub-inspector, who had recorded the statement of the complainant, claimed before the court that he had gone to Chandni Chowk Metro Station to see the CCTV footage in order to find out as to who had administered the intoxicating substance, but the footage did not reveal anything.

“Even if footage was not revealing anything, such footage should have been made part of the record,” said Additional Sessions Judge Manoj Jain.

The court observed that all the metro stations must be fitted with CCTV cameras and the investigating agency should have taken adequate steps to obtain the CCTV footage of the relevant metro station of the relevant time which would have reflected accused Manju accompanying the complainant.

Police said that the call details record (CDR) of the accused persons were analysed which reflected that they were present at Chandni Chowk and had followed the victim from Chandni Chowk till Rohini sector 23 where she was robbed and dumped.

The accused had pleaded not guilty and claimed that they had been falsely implicated in the case.