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"Convict's father had influenced the investigation"

Staff Reporter

Inspector did not record statement of an important witness

NEW DELHI: While setting aside the trial court judgment in the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case, the Delhi High Court concurred with its finding that J.P. Singh, former senior officer of the Delhi police and father of convict Santosh Kumar Singh, had used his influence in derailing the investigation in the initial stages when the probe was with the city police.

Circumstances

Taking it as one of the 13 clinching circumstances for conviction of the accused, the Court said the very fact that Inspector Lalit Mohan of the Delhi police, who was initially investigating the case, did not bother to record the statement of Kuppuswamy, an important witness in the case, about his having seen the accused outside the gate of the deceased on the day of the incident was indicative of the softness shown by brothers in uniform. "That conduct of the policeman has been very rightly and severely commented upon by the trial court which we find no reason to differ with'', a Division Bench comprising Justice R.S. Sodhi and Justice P.K. Bhasin said in its judgment.

Commenting upon the conduct of the local police on the repeated complaints made by the deceased about the harassment and misbehaviour of the accused, the Bench said that none of the police officers to whom such complaints were made had reacted as expected of them.

The trial court had in its judgment in 1999 observed that "the approach and working of the subordinate staff of the Delhi police suggests that the rule of law is not meant for those who enforce it nor for their near relatives.''

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