The Delhi Police resorted to “unprovoked firing” at a biker at Windsor Place here last year gunning down 17-year-old Karan Pandey, a magisterial inquiry has concluded.
According to the report, Karan was killed when one of the police personnel on patrol duty opened fire at a group of bikers in the early hours of July 27 last.
Following a public outcry, the police claimed that they resorted to firing in defence as the riotous bikers pelted stones at them. However, the inquiry found no evidence of stone pelting by these bikers. “The entire incident of heavy stone pelting is highly doubtful in the light of CCTV camera footage,” said the report.
For their part, the police said they were yet to receive the inquiry report.
The inquiry held that Karan and his friend Puneet Sharma were not performing stunts and were in the area to “observe stunt bikers”. They were stopped on Man Singh Road around 2 a.m. and allowed to go after the police checked their papers, it noted. Karan was shot ten minutes later at 2-10 a.m.
The New Delhi District Magistrate Ameya Abhyankar concluded that “there was unnecessary use of force by opening fire which was disproportionate to the amount of threat to the PCR personnel’s life.”
The report attributed the firing to negligence and error of judgement on the part of the officer -- Inspector Rajneesh Parmar.
Based on the findings, Karan’s family has demanded action against the “guilty” inspector. “I want strict action to be taken against the inspector. We will urge the court to order registration of a criminal case,” Karan’s mother told The Hindu . Also, the police allegation that a few of their men received injuries was negated in the report. The medico-legal certificates of the constables who were brought to RML Hospital for treatment that night recorded no specific injuries that could be proven clinically.
The report clearly mentions that 15-20 bikers were taking rounds in the New Delhi area as opposed to the police’s theory of 100 bikers. According to the report, the CCTV footage collected from front of gate No. 3 of Le Meridian Hotel, initially about 15-20 bikers and later 10-15 bikers were seen taking a round of Windsor Chambery from 2-05 a.m. to 2-08 a.m.
“A PCR van (Innova) is seen following the bikers in the footage. The footage available near Buta Singh Chambery on Ashoka Road shows one bike with a pillion rider and a PCR van behind it, but it clearly shows that there was no incident of stone pelting,” said the report.
