Delhi Police apologises for wrongly identifying journalist as suspect in criminal case

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has apologised for wrongly identifying a Noida-based journalist as a suspect in a criminal case, an official said on Friday.

A team from the Prem Nagar Police Station in outer Delhi, comprising a sub-inspector, a head constable and a constable, was investigating a case registered under sections 318(4) (cheating involving valuable security) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he said.

"The team was tracking the location of the accused identified as Rahul, a resident of Bahadurgarh, through his mobile phone," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said.

It led the team to a petrol pump in Sector 38, Noida, where they found a man in a car with his wife, whose description matched the suspect, he added.

"When the team asked him to produce an identity card, he reportedly refused and entered into an argument. The man later identified himself as Rahul Shah, a Noida-based journalist," the DCP said.

Upon realising the mistake, the police team apologised and returned to the police station. "No misbehaviour or force was used during the incident," the officer said.

The confusion was due to the similarity in facial features and the name, the DCP said, adding, "As soon as the team confirmed that the individual was not the accused, it expressed regret and disengaged from the interaction".

An internal note has been made regarding the incident, and no further action is being pursued.