Top cop gets court notice for pending cases

In Delhi an accident victim is subjected to the agony of waiting for an average of 6 to 7 years after filing a compensation plea, thanks to the cumbersome and long-pending procedures before the claim tribunals, reports Harish V Nair.

In Delhi an accident victim is subjected to the agony of waiting for an average of 6 to 7 years after filing a compensation plea, thanks to the cumbersome and long-pending procedures before the claim tribunals.

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So it comes as no surprise that there are nearly 14,000 such cases pending in 13 Motor Accident Claims Tribunals in the Capital.

An inquiry by Delhi High Court has revealed that for the last 15 years SHOs of various police stations have not been following a rule that makes it mandatory for them to send accident information report to the tribunals within 30 days of recording FIRs.

This was despite repeated directions of the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court from time to time.

Justice J.R. Midha, who was dealing with an accident claims case, also found that the police had been filing false affidavits in the court stating the orders were being complied with.

The judge has shot off a notice to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) asking why contempt of court proceedings shouldn’t be initiated against him for violation of the court order. The judge had on April 21 sought data of reports forwarded to tribunals in the last 22 months.

On May 18 the Deputy Commissioner filed an affidavit saying details of 15,378 accidents had been sent during the period from July 2007- April 2009.

But the police bluff was called when on the same day the Motor Accident Claims Tribunals filed a report saying they have “not received any accident information report in the prescribed proforma from the police during the last 22 months”. The DCP has been asked to respond to the notice on June 3.