Delhi Police file FIR against cops for attack on driver

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) Minutes after Delhi Police Commissioner promised to file a case against the policemen who had allegedly thrashed a mini taxi driver and his son in Mukherjee Nagar, the Delhi Police on Monday filed cases against the accused police officers as well as the driver and his son.

According to Delhi Police PRO Madhur Verma, cross FIRs have been filed in the case and the investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch.

Apart from the Crime Branch probe, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern range), Manish Agarwal, will head an enquiry to investigate the alleged professional misconduct by the policemen.

Though the sections invoked in the cross FIRs against the Delhi police personnel have not been specified yet, Verma told the media that they related to assault and use of force.

"The FIRs against the police personnel relate to cases of assault and use of force. The exact sections invoked will be shared with the media within a short period of time," Verma said.

The cases against the father-son duo have been registered under Sections 353, 34 and 186 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Earlier, two Assistant Sub-Inspectors and a constable were suspended for the unprofessional conduct over the way they handled the situation on Sunday after a 'Gramin Seva' taxi brushed a police vehicle in Mukherjee Nagar near Delhi University, triggering a chain of unpleasant events.

While the police said the mini taxi driver and his juvenile son first attacked the policemen with a sword, the driver's friends alleged that the father and son were dragged out of the vehicle and thrashed by the police personnel before they were beaten up again up at the police station.

A passer-by recorded the violent scenes on his mobile phone and later posted them on social media, which went viral.

The video shows the driver and his son having an argument with a policeman outside the Mukherjee Nagar police station. As more policemen came to the scene, the man took out a sword from his vehicle and charged at the policemen, scattering them. Eventually he was overpowered following which the police personnel began to rain lathi blows on the man.