New Delhi: The Delhi High Court was informed by police Tuesday that 10 of their personnel, who were allegedly involved in the incident of assault on a tempo driver and his minor son in Mukherjee Nagar last month, have been transferred.
The Delhi Police, in its interim report submitted before the court, said even if it is taken that the tempo driver and his son were extremely aggressive, the personnel should have "exhibited greater patience and professionalism, instead of indulging in the impulsive unprofessional conduct of dragging them".
On June 16, several video clips of a brawl between the tempo driver, Sarabjeet Singh, and police personnel went viral on social media.
In one of the clips, Singh is seen chasing policemen with a sword and in another, the personnel are seen thrashing the tempo driver and his son with batons.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar was told that the police personnel, who have been transferred to the non-sensitive unit of the 1st battalion of the Delhi Police, will join their new posting in the next 24 hours.
Additional Standing counsel Satyakam, representing the Delhi Police, said the criminal case has been transferred to the Crime Branch and a joint departmental inquiry will be conducted against the police personnel concerned.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on September 2. It was hearing a petition seeking an independent CBI probe into the incident.
Besides, the independent probe by the agency, the petition by Seema Singhal, a lawyer, has also sought framing of appropriate guidelines to prevent such "violent acts of police brutality and excessive force".
Advocates Sangeeta Bharti and Rubinder Ghumman, appearing for Singhal, opposed the status report of the police and claimed that it would be an one-sided inquiry as the tempo driver and his son have not been examined.
The court was informed that the Delhi Police's Crime Branch is investigating the FIR lodged by the driver and the counter FIR in the matter.
In the interim report, it has been stated that the policemen's aggression was a retaliation to the violent behaviour of the driver.
It claimed that when police personnel questioned the driver for hitting a Police Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV), he became "aggressive and violent and took out a sword from his vehicle".
"Even after seeing 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 the wrong way and hit police personnel," the report stated.
The court had earlier rapped the police for the alleged assault on the tempo driver, saying it was "evidence of police brutality" and how an uniformed force ought not to act.
The petition has also sought compensation for the victims of the assault.
It has also urged the court to call for the status report of the case and medical reports, along with the CCTV footage from the Mukherjee Nagar police station.
According to police, the altercation had taken place after the tempo driver's vehicle collided with a police van. Eight personnel were injured in the brawl, police have claimed.
Subsequent to the incident, the Delhi Police suspended three policemen for "unprofessional behaviour" and had initiated a probe.
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