By INDER VASHISHT / New Delhi
Eleven policemen, who were deployed on route where 20 year-old Anjali was killed after her scooty was hit by a car that dragged her to several kilometers on January 1 in Rohini, have been suspended.
Earlier, Home Ministry had recommended suspension of the police personnel deployed in three PCR vans and at two police pickets following death of a woman dragged by a car. It directed Delhi Police to initiate disciplinary action against these police personnel for dereliction of duty.
Home Ministry sources said the recommendations came following a detailed report by Special Commissioner of Police Shalini Singh in the incident that took place on the morning of New Year in the national capital. The Ministry also directed Delhi Police to issue a show cause notice to the supervisory officers. It has also asked Delhi police to file a chargesheet in the court at the earliest and take all steps to get the culprits punished. Delhi police has been asked to give an action taken report to the Home Ministry in the matter every 15 days.
Among the suspended policemen are two sub-inspectors, four ASIs, four constables. Out of these, five policemen were posted on the picket and 6 policemen were stationed on that road in the police vehicle.
“As approved by competent authority, a total of 11 policemen of Rohini district deployed on route at PCRs and pickets have been suspended in view of the Sultanpuri incident on January 1,” said a senior police official.
Show-cause notices to DCP
The Ministry of Home Affairs has also given instructions to issue a show cause notice to DCP Gurikbal Singh of Rohini district. The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to issue show-cause notices to the supervisory officers (DCPs/ACPs/SHOs) of police personnel posted in the police pickets and police vehicles on that route for dereliction of duty.
Notice to IO-
Apart from this, in view of the lack of investigation in the case, the investigating officer has also been asked to issue a show cause notice.
Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has also been asked to take disciplinary action against the policemen on duty that night.
The Home Ministry has said that it should be ensured that there is no lapse in the investigation. A fortnightly report on the progress of the investigation in this matter should be given to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
law and order reforms
The Home Ministry has said that steps should be taken to improve the law and order situation in the capital, so that people, especially women and children, live in a fear-free environment.
PCR merger review
The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that the merger of PCR with districts/ police stations should be reviewed again.
Former Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had merged/integrated about 8000 policemen of PCR into the District Police. PCR vehicles and their staff were added to the police stations.
Now the name of these police vehicles is Multi Purpose Vehicle (MP Van). Now it is under DCP/SHO.
Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora had formed a team of officers to review the integration/merger of PCR after taking over.
The old system of PCR is better-
By the way, most of the IPS officers also believe that the old system of PCR was better. PCR should be reinstated as an independent entity. Due to PCR also Delhi Police had its own identity.
After the Anjali murder case, it has come to the fore that had the old PCR system been in place, perhaps the car of the accused could have been caught on the spot.
No communication between police
In the investigation of this case, the officers of the Operation Unit, which conducted the PCR, found that there was no communication between the nine police vehicles engaged in the search of the car of the accused who dragged Anjali’s body for about 12 kilometers.
Police refused to go
It was also found that the policemen posted in two police vehicles refused to go out of their police station area. The policemen posted in the vehicles did not even inform the police control room that more vehicles should be sent to search the car.