Police register two FIRS, say using CCTV footage to identify culprits

NEW DELHI : The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered two FIRS in response to multiple incidents of assaults by lawyers, including one in the case in which a constable who was seen on camera getting slapped and elbowed.

The registration of an FIR in connection with the assault on the motorcycle-riding constable was one of the main demands of the protesting policemen and women on Tuesday. They were agitated that the police had not filed an FIR despite visual evidence.

Atul Kumar Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (south), said while one FIR was registered on the complaint of the constable, another was filed on the statement of a 50-year-old driver who was left with a fractured arm after being beaten with an iron rod, allegedly by lawyers.

“On the constable’s complaint, we registered a case of assault, robbery and criminal intimidation,” said Thakur.

The robbery section was added since a lawyer had allegedly snatched his helmet, before hurling it at the fleeing policeman.

In his statement to the police, constable Karan said he was riding a motorcycle to the Saket court for legal work in connection with an arrest warrant against a man in Telangana when he was intercepted by some lawyers. “They abused and threatened to kill me. Before I could say anything, one of them began beating me up. I saved my life and escaped from there,” Karan said.

Police said they were using the video to identify the lawyer.

The other case was registered on a complaint of a 50-year-old driver, Ravi Prakash, who was visiting the court to deal with a traffic challan issued to him. “The lawyers threw him to the ground, snatched an iron rod from an elderly man and tried to hit Prakash’s head with it. Prakash ended up with a fractured hand.

The police are yet to convert three other complaints of assaults, allegedly by lawyers outside Saket court on Monday, into FIRS. “We are still verifying those complaints” said an officer.