NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday sought a report from Delhi Police over viral videos showing a scuffle between a Sikh Gramin Sewa driver and some uniformed personnel in northwest Delhi and a brutal assault on the former that followed.Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said he had spoken to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and asked him to take immediate action. “A BJP delegation led by Shri @rpsinghkhalsa ji called on me today regarding the incident under Mukherjee Nagar Police Station in New Delhi, I spoke to CP Delhi, instructed for immediate action and to submit a detailed report,” Reddy tweeted.
In one of several videos of the incident that went viral on social media, the auto driver is seen chasing some policemen with a sword in his hand. Another clip shows the police personnel raining blows on him with batons.According to Delhi police officers, following an accident involving a Gramin Sewa Tempo and a police vehicle on Sunday evening, the driver got into an argument with some police personnel.
They said the attack turned violent as driver chased one of the officers with a sword and also drove dangerously.Three policemen were suspended in connection with the incident. The police said on Monday that cross FIRs have been registered in the matter and the case has been transferred to the Crime Branch for further probe.
Based on the statement of the injured policeman, an FIR was registered under Sections 34, 186, 323, 353 of the Indian Penal Code against tempo driver Sarbjeet Singh for the assault by use of sword, Delhi Police Spokesperson Madhur Verma said.The other case, he said, was registered on Sarbjeet’s complaint of “excesses” committed by the police subsequently. Both cases have been registered under assault and use of force, he added.
Joint Commissioner (Northern Range) is in the process of conducting a detailed fact-finding enquiry into the matter. It was on the basis of his preliminary findings, that the three police personnel — two ASIs and one constable — were suspended.“There was misconduct on part of the three, which can be seen in the visuals available,” Verma said, stressing that the use of force while overpowering the lawbreaker “isn’t unjustified but what happened (in this case) wasn’t called for and the situation could have been handled more professionally”.
ASI Yograj, who was attacked on his head, is under treatment. “If there are grievous injuries, more sections will be added (against the driver),” Verma said.The driver rammed into a police vehicle at 11.30pm on Sunday. “He refused to go to the police station and got into a scuffle with the men on duty instead. He charged at our men with a sword and some personnel later got involved in the scuffle,” Verma said.“Following the incident, there was a law and order situation as a huge number of people gathered at the scene. Six policeman were injured in the incident,” Verma said.