The Delhi High Court sharply criticized the Delhi Police on Wednesday for arresting an SUV driver, Manuj Kathuria, in connection with the drowning deaths of three civil services aspirants at a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar. The court questioned the rationale behind the police’s “strange” investigation, wondering, “What is the Delhi Police doing? Have they lost it?”
Despite the high court’s strong words, the judicial magistrate Vinod Kumar later dismissed the bail plea of Kathuria and four other accused. The Delhi Police vehemently opposed Kathuria’s bail, labeling him a “masti-khor” (fun lover).
During the high court hearing, Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela expressed bewilderment at the police’s focus on Kathuria, a bystander driving a car near the scene, while not holding Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials accountable. The bench questioned whether any MCD official had been interrogated or held responsible for the incident, emphasizing that fixing responsibility on officials could prevent future incidents.
The high court was hearing a plea by the organization Kutumb, which called for a high-level committee to investigate the deaths of the aspirants on July 27. The bench allowed an oral request to include the Delhi Police as a party to the petition and hinted at involving a central agency for the investigation. It directed the MCD commissioner, the deputy commissioner of police, and the investigating officer (IO) to appear before it on Friday.
The court criticized the lack of action against MCD officials and questioned the thoroughness of the investigation, including whether the IO had reviewed the de-silting plan or the building construction plan. The Delhi government counsel promised to provide updates on the investigation status in response to the court’s queries.
Kathuria was accused of driving his Force Gurkha car through a flooded street, causing water to breach the gates of the building housing Rau’s IAS Study Circle and inundate the basement. The police registered an FIR under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide, negligent conduct, and causing hurt.
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