Delhi: Court asks top cop for action against SHO who ‘coerced law grad’

The directions came on Friday, when the court was hearing a petition filed for quashing the FIR against the police officers. The complainant, Rajat Sikri, had on March 3 called the SHO and asked him to take action against a restaurant allegedly serving hookah. However, as per court order, the SHO asked him to produce evidence, following which the complainant clicked photos and sent them across. “However, no action was taken. Thereafter, the complainant informed the DCP (Dwarka) and on his direction, an FIR was registered,” the court order states.

The HC said that after the FIR was lodged, the complainant received a call from an ASI, Shailender Singh, the investigation officer in the case, who asked him to collect his medicolegal cases (MLC) from the hospital concerned. “He went to the police station and met with IO, where the petitioners/accused were also present. While he was present in the police station, the SHO called up his father and asked him to tell his son to ‘compromise and get the FIR quashed’,” the court order states.

The complainant further submitted that the legal counsel of the accused pressured him to get the FIR quashed, and threatened him of summons from the High Court if he did not do so. As per court order, the complainant had no proper knowledge of summons and “signed the settlement under pressure”.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait said, “The complainant… submitted that settlement was under coercion and pressure and he does not want to settle the dispute… and pursue case against the petitioners… In view of the above, the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, is directed to initiate inquiry through an officer, not below the rank of the DCP, against SHO Baljeet Singh and ASI Singh… and action taken would be produced on the next date of hearing…”

The court also directed the DCP to provide the complainant security until further orders to avoid any untoward incident.