Road rage case lands up in Rajasthan High Court

Notices to official, cops on victim’s plea of threat to life

A road rage case here has taken a twist with threats being made to the victim's life allegedly by the accused persons, who are reported to be close to some influential police officers. Peeved at the investigation, the victim has approached the Rajasthan High Court, which has issued notices to the Home Secretary and seven police officers.

Sanjay Gupta, 40, working with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation in Jaipur, was thrashed by some occupants of a speeding SUV on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg here on December 21, 2017, when he confronted them following the car's sudden turn that unbalanced his two-wheeler. His spectacles broke and he bled from the nose after the accident.

Mild provisions

When Mr. Gupta went to Jawahar Circle police station, he was made to wait for three hours and his demand for getting him medically examined was rejected. The first information report was registered under the mild provisions of Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code.

The victim later came to know that the occupants of the car were well-connected with the police. “Satya Dutt, who is named in the FIR, is related to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Jaipur North) Satyendra Singh, who influenced other police officers,” Mr. Gupta alleged in his writ petition filed in the Jaipur Bench of Rajasthan High Court.

Probe incomplete

With the “extraneous considerations” hampering a free and fair investigation, the police filed chargesheet against only one accused, Satish Kumar, without getting him identified by Mr. Gupta. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate found the probe incomplete and returned the chargesheet on February 7 with the direction for re-investigation, which is still pending.

The Station House Officer and Investigating Officer allegedly exerted pressure on Mr. Gupta to enter into a compromise. Mr. Gupta submitted in the High Court that the offenders were giving constant threats to him in connivance with influential police officers and his life was in danger.

Justice Deepak Maheshwari of the High Court issued notices on the writ petition to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Director-General of Police, Jaipur Police Commissioner, DCP Satyendra Singh, the then SHO, Jawahar Circle, Rajesh Soni, and three other police officers over the weekend.

While pointing out that the police did not record his statement under Section 161 of Criminal Procedure Code, Mr. Gupta said it was a common experience at police stations that the FIRs were not registered promptly. “Even if an FIR is registered, the matter is not booked for the offences stated in the complaint. There is no mechanism through which a complainant may keep track of the complaint's status.”