FIR against Bellary SP, jail official in Delhi police station

An FIR was lodged on Monday against the superintendents of Bellary Police and the central prison there for not producing an undertrial in a Delhi court and illegally confining him in prison despite him being on bail.

The case was registered against Bellary SP Chandragupta and P V Reddy, superintendent of central prison, Bellary, at Sarita Vihar police station here in pursuance to the

directions of Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Rao, who also pulled up the erring officials for their "indifferent attitude" towards the orders of the court.

“Accordingly in view of my discussion and as cognisable offences are made out, SHO of police station in Sarita Vihar is directed to register the FIR under appropriate provisions of the IPC, dealing with ‘wrongful confinement’ against the erring officials,” the magistrate said.

The court was annoyed with the two officials as they had failed to produce before it an accused, who was lodged at the central jail at Bellary in Karnataka, in connection with two criminal cases, despite repeated production warrants.

Accused Moormal was produced in the Delhi court after two years, only when the magistrate took “coercive steps” and issued non-bailable warrants against Reddy and Chandragupta.

“After going through the explanations of Reddy and Chandragupta, prima facie it appears that Chandragupta showed absolute indifferent attitude to not only to the orders of the court but also to the communications/request/letters sent to him by Reddy.

“Out of the strength of more than one lakh police force/personnel, the above erring officials/State of Karnataka could not spare just two police officials, so that the accused could be produced in this court. This is not acceptable. A line has to be drawn some day and the accountability fixed,” the magistrate said.

The magistrate said that non-production of the accused for two years not only wasted the precious time of the court, but also violated the fundamental rights of the accused for speedy trial.