Senior citizen runs from pillar to post to get theft case registered

After Delhi’s dubious distinction as the rape capital of India, it now stands discredited for making a senior citizen wait nearly a month to get a theft case registered by the police.

The complaint of 70-year-old Harbans Lal Bagga was registered only after he wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, narrating his ordeal.

It is said, the Commissioner had issued strict instructions to his staff to register complaints immediately whenever an aggrieved person approached them, but his orders stand defied.

“The investigating officer suggested that I state that I do not want any action in the matter, which I refused,” said the victim,

A theft at Bagga’s home in West Delhi’s Paschim Vihar took place on May 31. His repeated attempts to get a complaint registered were in vain. He finally wrote to the police chief on June 18 and his plaint was registered on July 3. 

Bagga, in his complaint, said that he was staying alone since 2005 and was registered with Delhi Police senior citizen cell. On May 31, he went to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital at 3 pm for a check-up.

He returned around 6.15 pm to find his house ransacked, and gold and valuables worth Rs 1 lakh stolen. He suspected that the burglars scaled the side walls to break into his house.

“I immediately informed police control room and a police team came,” said Bagga.

Initially, the investigating officer dissuaded him from registering a complaint. When he did not relent, the officer wrote a report on plain paper and asked him to search his house thoroughly to ascertain if any more articles were missing. Thereafter his statement would be recorded, he was told. Even after he followed the diktat, the investigating officer did not bother to register a complaint.

Bagga’s letter to the Police commissioner ensured that Paschim Vihar police registered his complaint after senior police officers intervened.

Initially, the investigating officer dissuaded him from registering a complaint. When he did not relent, the officer wrote a report on plain paper and asked him to search his house thoroughly to ascertain if any more articles were missing.