Delhi court asks police to collect all CCTV footage, conduct impartial probe

New Delhi: A Delhi court has directed the police to collect all CCTV footage of the alleged vandalism of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) office in December last year and conduct an investigation in an impartial manner to unearth the truth.

The court's directions came after two CCTV footage were played one showing the police officials along with the SHO trying to protect the gate of DJB office and another showing police officials not resisting any member of the mob from entering the main building.

It was hearing a plea filed by Delhi Jal Board vice chairman and AAP MLA Raghav Chadha seeking a court-monitored investigation in the case of alleged vandalism and attack on staff members.

ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police), DIU (District Investigation Unit), is directed to collect all the CCTV footage, analyse the same and take appropriate action in the present matter. Investigation would be conducted in impartial manner to unearth the truth of the matter, said Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ganjender Singh Nagar in his order passed on March 1 (Monday). The court directed the police to file a progress report on March 9.

The application filed by Chadha has alleged that the attack was orchestrated by BJP Delhi president Adesh Gupta and party leaders Yogendra Chandoliya, Ravi Tanwar Upadhyaksh and Vikas Tanwar.

Advocate Prashant Manchanda, appearing for Chadha, contended that a fresh FIR may be directed to be registered on the complaint.

The court's order noted that CCTV footage of main iron gate was played, from which it was apparent that police officials along with SHO trying to protect the gate, however, few persons from the mob scaled up the gate, jumped inside the premises, open the gate forcefully from inside, thereafter persons standing outside the gate came inside the premises despite there being resistance from the police.

Another CCTV footage has been shown wherein it can be seen that the mob is entering the main building of varunalaya. This time police is there, but police officials are not resisting anybody, it said.

It also noted that ACP had pointed out that sections of rioting and unlawful assembly have been added in the charge sheet and the police was doing appropriate investigation in the case.

The court had earlier directed the concerned DCP to file a report on why appropriate sections have not been added in the FIR despite there being videos and photographs in which more than five persons involved in the alleged vandalism.

It had also directed the police to file the report on why for the period of one month, no witnesses present at

the spot have been examined, why videos and photographs were not seized promptly when things were very much clear from them.