New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) In a major security lapse, an undertrial prisoner who was brought to Saket Court for a hearing on Thursday was killed inside the court's lock-up after two men allegedly kicked him repeatedly and smashed his head against the wall in the presence of several prisoners.
Aman (24), who was facing trial in an attempt to murder case, was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead by doctors.
Police sources said they have formed a team to investigate the matter, including why security personnel present outside the lock-up were slow in responding.
Multiple undertrial prisoners were in the lock-up when Aman was allegedly attacked by Jitender alias Jitte and Jaidev alias Baccha, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan in a statement said. All three knew each other.
"Aman was brought to the Saket Court to be produced before it when the incident occurred in Kharja No. 5 of the lock-up," the DCP said.
Preliminary inquiry indicates that the attack stemmed from a previous dispute between Aman and Jitender. In 2024, Aman allegedly attacked Jitender and his brother with a knife and an FIR of attempt to murder was registered against him.
Police officials said the rivalry appears to have persisted and escalated during their custody.
Additional DCP (South) Sumit Kumar Jha said that they received information about a serious assault at Saket Court at 10 am.
Aman, an undertrial prisoner and a resident of Govindpuri, sustained a severe head injury following a violent altercation inside the lock-up, he said.
Jaidev who was also brought in the same van as Aman for the court hearings allegedly had an altercation with him, Jha said. Later in the lock-up, Jitender allegedly banged Aman's head on the wall with kicks to his face, he said.
Aman was immediately taken to the court dispensary, where doctors noted a critical head injury. He was then shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he was declared brought dead, he added.
Officials said police teams have been formed to investigate the matter.
The police teams will ask other undertrial prisoners about the sequence of events, a police source said. Investigators will also probe why security officials outside the court lock-up did not respond on time.
The investigation will look into the number of undertrial prisoners kept inside the lock-up and why Aman and Jitender were kept in the same place.
"We got to know that around 10 people were inside the lock-up at the time of the incident. The probe teams will check all records and fix the responsibility of those who lodged Aman and Jitender in the same cell, given that they had an old rivalry.
"Last year, Aman attacked Jitender and his brother using a knife. A case of attempt to murder was registered, following which he was arrested. We also found out that Jitender too had assaulted Aman earlier and he was also arrested for it," the source said.
All three of them, Aman, Jitender and Jaidev, were lodged in Tihar Jail Number 8, according to police.
"Teams are trying to find out why Jaidev was involved and what triggered him to kill Aman. Officials will also check CCTV footage if any are available and will review the security of the lock-ups in all the courts in the national capital," the source added.
Advocate Virender Kasana, former secretary of Patiala House Court Bar Association, said this was a major security lapse on the part of Delhi Police.
"We got to know about the incident that two undertrail attacked another undertrail. The incident is a major lapse in security. Police must investigate the matter and fix the responsibility of the police personnel present at the spot," Kasana told PTI.
Courts in Delhi have witnessed several killings, including many shootings, in recent years.
In 2023, a suspended lawyer in uniform opened fire at a woman allegedly over a financial dispute in Saket Court.
Two years before that, a 45-year-old man was shot dead inside an advocate’s chamber in the Dwarka court complex.
In another incident in 2021, two men dressed as lawyers opened fire inside a courtroom in Rohini Court Complex and killed Delhi’s notorious gangster, Jitender Maan alias Gogi, before being gunned down by police personnel.
In 2022, another firing happened at Rohini court as a police constable tried to intervene in a scuffle between two lawyers and a civilian.