New Bharat TV
The Bombay High Court criticized the police for failing to register an FIR in a suspected case of abetment of suicide, despite a magistrate's order in June 2024. It imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the state for the delay.
The HC was hearing a plea by a Bengaluru-based father seeking justice for his son, who allegedly died by suicide on January 6, 2024. The petition accused four of the son's associates of harassment, which led to the suicide.
Despite several representations and a letter to RAK Ammarg police station, the police did not register an FIR. The father then filed a private complaint before the magistrate's court in Sewri, which directed the police to register an FIR and submit a status report on the investigation on June 22, 2024. The magistrate had also directed the police commissioner to monitor the case and ensure proper investigation. However, the police failed to comply.
Therefore, the father approached the HC.
The father's plea also claimed that he had requested the police to obtain CCTV footage from his son's office between the period of December 27, 2023, and January 5, 2024, but did not receive any response. Hence, he had approached the magistrate.
A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan had asked senior inspector Sandeep Ranadive of RAK Marg police station to remain present before the court. Ranadive admitted that he came to know about the magistrate's order only on the day of the court hearing.
Expressing displeasure over the inaction of the police, the bench termed it as “extremely disturbing”. Ranadive assured the court that an FIR would be registered immediately.
Given the father's difficulty in getting justice, the court directed the state to pay Rs 20,000 as costs within four weeks. The court also ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Zone 4 to initiate a departmental inquiry and recover the cost from the salaries of the police officers responsible for the delay.
The High Court has kept the next hearing of the case on December 17.
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