180 times IOs found missing in courts, departmental action against 140

New Delhi: There are over 180 instances when the Investigating Officers (IOs) have been found absent in various courts last year with departmental action being initiated against more than 140. Sources said the Delhi Police Commissioner had already directed senior officers to make sure that police personnel, upon service of summons, shall attend the court on the day of appearance.

Police sources told Millennium Post that during a law and order meeting, a discussion was held on the topic related to the presence of IOs in courts among the top brass of the Delhi Police. The data accessed by this newspaper revealed that departmental action has been initiated against 28 IOs in North-East Delhi with around 20 IOs in Dwarka district and 12 from the Outer North. About 86 IOs from 12 districts were found absent. According to a senior officer, the IOs were told to give written explanation as to why were they absent after which action was taken. "We also issued show-cause notices to the IOs in connection with the same," the officer added.

Sources further revealed that in 51 instances from Dwarka district and 30 times from the North-East district, the respective IOs were found to be absent in courts. "IOs from 13 districts were found absent in more than 100 instances," the data reflects.

Last year during a meeting, Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik had directed officers to clear pending probes against police personnel promptly and on a merit basis. It was also reported that in total, at least 3,025 show-cause notices (SCNs) were pending as on August 31, 2019.