Don't assign officers duty when summoned as witness in case Delhi court to top cop

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) A Delhi court, hearing a February 2020 riots case, has asked the Delhi police commissioner to ensure police officials who are witnesses are not assigned any official duty unless necessary on days of their court appearance.
     Additional sessions judge Parveen Singh was hearing a case registered by the Dayalpur police station at the stage of prosecution evidence.
     In an order on July 4, the court said the investigating officer (IO) inspector Manoj Kumar sent a request for absence on the ground that he was assigned a prefixed duty at Bharat Mandapam between July 1 and 10.
     The court said on April 30 it exempted the IO from appearing, leaving the prosecution with sufficient time to inform the IO, who could have informed his superiors that he had a hearing to attend.
     "I am aware of the standing order issued by commissioner of police whereby it was directed that whenever any police officer or official is summoned to appear as a witness in the court, he/she shall not be assigned any regular or arrangement duty or any other duty for the day on which he/she has to appear in the court unless it is indispensable or he/she has a particular set of skills which require his/ her presence or engagement on that particular day," the court noted.
     The judge added that despite the order, and when it was communicated clearly that the IO had to appear, a leave request was sent.
     "This situation is further painful in view of the fact that three accused in this matter are in judicial custody and they had their hearing before the court after three months. Still, both dates went to waste without any effective hearing," the judge said.
     The court noted that only two witnesses, including the IO, were required to submit their evidence in the case, and it made his absence all the more disturbing.
     "In these circumstances, the matter is brought to the notice of commissioner of police to again look into the matter and issue necessary directions so that, unless it is unavoidable, whenever a police officer or official is summoned as a witness in the court, he/she is not assigned any other duty for that day," the order read.
     The matter was then posted on August 25.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)