Mumbai police has submitted its report before Bombay High Court mentioning the identification of four policemen who had assaulted a 22-year old handcart puller in Juhu with fiber lathis for not wearing a mask. Bombay HC bench sought the status report till August 5 and will hear the matter on August 6.
Juhu police has claimed that the deceased Devendra was lynched by a mob for a robbery attempt and police has booked eight people in the same context.
Government pleader Poornima Kantharia has submitted the case status report by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Dattatray Bhargude who was investigating the death of Raju Devendra.
Bombay High Court bench comprising of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Anuja Prabhudesai observed the identification of four policemen a major development in the alleged police brutality case. The report pointed out that Raju Devendra was brutally assaulted by the cops on the night of March 29 and strict action must be taken against the accused.
The court decision came while hearing a PIL filed by advocate Firdause Irani against the cases of police brutality and also claimed to be a victim of the same. Various deaths have taken place during the lockdown and case of police brutality has been on a surge.
Government leader Kantharia has stated before the court, “the CCTV footage, she personally viewed, did not show any member of the public being part of any mob assaulting the deceased. On the contrary, the four policemen, are seen to have used fiber lathis in a bid to discipline the deceased. However, whether the deceased succumbed to the injuries inflicted by reason of such assault by fiber lathis is a matter which needs further investigation.”
In the earlier hearing on July 17, Bombay High Court pulled up the state government for not going through the CCTV footage to identify the accused.
“It is distressing to note that from April 18 till July 10, no investigation was embarked upon by the Assistant Commissioner of Police,” observed High Court bench.
Thereafter, HC directed to expedite the probe and also respond to the proposal on departmental proceedings. ACP was also directed to issue a notice to the only witnesses in the case, Devendra’s mother and brother, to record their statements.
