Delhi lawyer claims assault by police officials; Saket Court calls for CCTV footage of station

Delhi-based lawyer Mayank Mittal recently moved the Saket District Court claiming that he was assaulted by police officials at the Hauz Khas Police Station..The Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) at Saket allowed an application filed by Mittal seeking the CCTV footage of the Hauz Khas Police Station between the hours he claims to have been criminally assaulted. "The allegations made against the concerned official will anyway be enquired and thereafter, ascertained but there is no harm in seizing the CCTV footage as the same will only prove or disprove the application of applicant," MM Shilpi Singh stated in the order..Mittal's had also filed a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South Delhi, stating that he had called a client to the Hauz Khas Police Station, and was waiting for him to arrive when two unknown people began roaming around his car and asked to see his phone. When he refused, they allegedly attacked him and attempted to snatch the phone. Mittal panicked and called the police helpline..However, the Inspector from the police station came rushing out, pulled Mittal out of his car, and took him into police station while holding him by the neck. Following this, he alleged, multiple police officials physically assaulted him and threatened him with false cases.He also alleged that the police officials took phone numbers and other data from Mittal without his consent. After getting personal information from Mittal, the Inspector and Station House Officer (SHO) threatened him against speaking of this incident..Following the incident, he raised a complaint urging the DCP to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the SHO and Inspector and called for strict disciplinary action against them. “I state that the above named police staff have criminally assaulted me by wrongfully restraining without any fault on my part and they have committed various other criminal offence and they are liable to be prosecuted as per law,” read the complaint..The MM asked the SHO to seize the footage, and present it to the court on June 8..[Read order]