Two 'proclaimed offenders' in Delhi constable murder

A Delhi Court has declared two accused as 'proclaimed offenders' in a case related to the murder of Delhi Police’s head constable Rattan Lal during the violence which broke out in the north-east district of the national capital earlier this year.

New Delhi:Two persons named in the case of the fatal shooting of Delhi Police Head Constable Rattan Lal during the February riots here have been declared Proclaimed Offenders by a city court for intentionally avoiding trial proceedings.

Declaring Suleman alias Salman Siddiqui and Ms Ravish as Proclaimed Offenders, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Pushotaum Pathak said, "I consider that both the accused are intentionally avoiding to appear in the court despite due service of process under Section 82 of the CrPC."

The court has also taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police in the case.

"... there is sufficient material on record to take cognisance of the offences alleged to have been committed by the accused persons," the court said.

The court noted that though it was inclined to take cognisance of the offence under Section 153-A of the IPC, previous sanction as provided under Section 196 of the CrPC was mandatory but not filed by the prosecuting agency.

The Investigating Officer told the court that a letter dated July 13 was sent to the competent authority but it was not clear how much time it will take for the sanction.

"In this scenario when there is no time frame for obtaining sanction and that any further delay in proceedings will unnecessarily defeat the very purpose for which the special courts for the trial of riot cases have been created. I deem it fit to take cognisance of all the offences as discussed, the court said.

The CMM issued production warrants against all the accused and directed the Tihar Central Jail officials to present them in court through videoconference on September 10.

The Delhi Police charge sheet said that Head Constable Rattan Lal was killed on February 24 in an unprovoked attack by a mob.

Eyewitnesses had said in their statements that a police team deployed at Chand Bagh protest site was suddenly attacked by the mob armed with lathis and rods etc, leading to the killing of Rattan Lal and injuries to DCP Amit Sharma, ACP Anuj Kumar and others.

The protesters were opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens and had rallied in the Chand Bagh area without permission and in blatant violation of rules and regulations.

"Speakers who addressed the gathering (of protesters) spread false information about the CAA and the NRC and deliberately conveyed to the Muslim population that they will lose their Indian citizenship, and that they would be sent to detention camps for non-production of documents for NRC," the charge sheet claimed.

(IANS and ANI inputs)