HC transfers to Crime Branch probe into disappearance of CISF Official

On Wednesday, the High Court of Delhi transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch, investigation into the case of disappearance of a CISF official since May 2020.

A bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar passed the order while hearing a habeas corpus petition by the wife of CISF constable Venkata Rao seeking to know the whereabouts of her husband who went missing after visiting his Dhaula Kuan office here.

An FIR was lodged at police station Usmanpur under Section 365 Indian Penal Code (kidnapping or abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) on September 17 on the direction of the high court.

A habeas corpus petition is filed seeking direction to produce a person who is missing or illegally detained.

The woman, Godi Raja Kumari has approached the high court seeking to know the whereabouts of her husband, who was working as a driver, as she suspected foul play in his disappearance due to frequent tiffs with his superior.

Lawyer R Bajaji and K. Sravan Kumar, representing Kumari, said Rao is missing since May 26, this year after he allegedly visited his office at Dhaula Kuan to seek clearance of his leave to visit his native place in East Godavari Andhra Pradesh along with his wife and her septuagenarian father.

The lawyer submitted that the matters required to be transferred to the crime branch to instill confidence in a fair and impartial investigation as there are several contradictory claims made by the CISF and the Usmanpur police station.

Delhi Govt standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra and advocate Chaitanya Gosain said they have no objection to the case being transferred to the Crime Branch for further investigation.

The HC directed the Crime Branch to submit a status report within 4 weeks and listed the matter for further hearing to Nov 9.

The petitioner's lawyer said the Court agreed with their contention that the matter ought to be transferred to the Delhi Police's Crime Branch since prima facie the Usmanpur Police hadn't conducted a fair investigation as it had recorded an FIR nearly 4 months after the disappearance of the official.

He said the Court also asked the wife of the constable to file an application with the CISF for immediate release of salary arrears from May till date, after which the authorities should consider it expeditiously. 

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