Mukherjee Nagar Clash: Police personnel should have exhibited greater patience, Delhi Police to HC

In its interim report filed in the Mukherjee Nagar clash, the Delhi Police today stated before the Delhi High Court that even if the conduct of the the Sikh father-son duo was aggressive, the police personnel should have exhibited greater patience and professionalism..The report was submitted by the Delhi Police in a public interest litigation by Advocate Dr Seema Singhal seeking to bring to notice “the barbaric, horrific and malafide use of power” by certain Delhi Police officers on June 17 in the capital’s Mukherjee Nagar area..The attack, the petitioner has claimed, was wholly arbitrary, unjust, oppressive and destructive of their Constitutional rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India..Appearing for Delhi Police, Advocate Satyakam told a Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar that ten police personnel who were involved in the incident have already been identified and transferred by the Joint Commission, Delhi Police to the first battalion of the Delhi Police..Subsequently, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of that battalion would pass an order constituting a joint departmental enquiry against their conduct, it was added..The Court was further informed that the Delhi Police’s crime branch was investigating the FIR lodged by the victim as well as the cross FIR in the matter. In the status report, it has been submitted that the police personnel’s aggression was a retaliation to the violent behaviour of Sarabjeet..It is claimed that when the police personnel questioned the father, Sarabjeet Singh for hitting the Police ERV, he became “aggressive and violent and took a sword from his vehicle”. The report states,.“Even after seeing the police reinforcement, Sarabjeet remained violent and aggressive and kept brandishing his sword and charged the police personnel…Meanwhile, Sarabjeet’s son who was present there, also jostled and tried to free his father from the police personnel…During this time, Sarabjeet’s son recklessly drove his Gramin Sewa Auto in a dangerous manner, from wrong way and hit the police personnel...…with lots of effort, Sarabjeet and his son could be contained and controlled. Even after this, when police party, present there, made efforts to escort Sarabjeet and his son to the police station, both of them kept resisting. As a result, the police had to lift both of them and carry them inside the police station…”.After taking the status report on record, the Court adjourned the matter..The petitioner was represented by Advocates Rubinder Ghumman and Sangeeta Bharti..The matter will be heard next on September 2..Following the clash that broke out between a few Delhi Police personnel and a Sikh father-son duo in Mukherjee Nagar on June 17, 2019, the Delhi High Court had sought an interim report from the Delhi Police..Condemning the Delhi Police’s attack on the minor son during the clash, the Court also issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Central Government and Delhi Police in the petition seeking an independent probe into the incident.