New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict in the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case after scolding the Delhi Police for failing to protect the law student.
Priyadarshini was raped and murdered in January 1996 at her residence in the Vasant Kunj, South Delhi. “The girl (Priyadarshni) would have been alive” if police had taken timely action, said a Bench comprising Justice R S Sodhi and Justice P K Bhasin.
The court heard concluding arguments on the appeal filed by the CBI against the acquittal of Santosh Kumar Singh, who is accused of raping and murdering Priyadarshni.
"What kind of police force we have in the town (Delhi) where no one is safe," the Bench observed and added that since the police did not take any action on the complaint of the victim, the accused was encouraged.
The court said this after Additional Solicitor General Amrendra Sharan alleged that Singh harassed Priyadarshini for two years and she had filed a complaint against him at the Vasant Kunj police station.
"The girl had gone on and on bearing this onslaught," the Bench said while expressing its anguish on how public suffers when it approaches police with its problems like one faced by Mattoo.
The Bench said the law abiding citizen like Mattoo seeks police assistance but if the cops will not respond to their complaints, people face consequence like this (Mattoo's fate).
"This is the fate of common people," the Bench said, adding that "the girl died because of the police and not because of the boy (accused)".
"Why can't you (Delhi Police) be held responsible for what all happened with Mattoo," the Court said. The Delhi Police investigated the for three days before it was handed over to the CBI.
CBI blames five cops
The CBI has asked the Court to take action against five Delhi Police officials for dereliction of duty.
The five officers are investigating officer Lalit Mohan, Additional Commisioner of Police Satendra Nath, Additional Commisioner of Police Prabhati Lal, Inspector Rajendra Kumar and Sub-inspector Rajendra Singh.
The CBI on Tuesday had faced some searching questions from the HC in the manner it conducted its investigation in the case.
(Inputs from PTI and UNI)
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