The Delhi High Court Friday pulled up the city police for failing to submit the post-mortem report in the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania and told them to furnish it by Monday.
A division bench of Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw also asked police to appraise the court on the average number of post-mortem cases handled by hospitals in Delhi daily.
"The Delhi Police is directed to file an affidavit disclosing the average number of post-mortems required everyday, the hospitals where the said facilities are available, the average time before which the post-mortem is taken up and the average time taken for receipt of the post-mortem report," the bench said in its order.
"The affidavit to also disclose the reasons for the delays in any in taking up the post-mortem and in preparation of report thereof," it added.
Advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Delhi Police, told the court that despite all efforts the post-mortem report has not come. He said the viscera of the deceased has been sent to a central forensic lab for quick results.
Krishnan further assured the court that police would not take more than 15 days to file the charge sheet after receipt of the post-mortem report.
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The court, however, expressed displeasure at the delay and said there were cases in which the post-mortem was not done even after lapse of seven days because of lack of facilities.
"You don't conduct post-mortem. Even after death, you don't treat them properly," it said.
"What would be the confidence of people in the system if there are huge backlog of pending criminal cases. Ultimately people will lose faith not only in police and administration but also the courts," the court added.
Delhi Police and Additional Solicitor General Rajeeve Mehra also informed the court that on Aug 31 last year, the city police chief issued order for tackling the problems faced by students and others from northeastern states in Delhi.
At this the court asked counsel for Delhi Police to appraise it of implementation and effect of the order and whether it has in any manner reduced the problems.
The bench further said there was a need to sensitise the law enforcement agencies and the government to protect the people of north-east staying in the vapital and other parts of the country.
"When we fail to provide security to a particular section of the people, naturally some section will take advantage of it," the court said asking the central government to not just give guidelines and directions but work "to satisfy the people".
During the hearing, Mehra told the court that there are guidelines in place to check and monitor racial attacks on people from the northeast. "We are taking strict measures to protect northeastern people in the country," he said.
The court retorted that if authorities had taken proper action against the above instances, this type of racial attacks would come down.
It also asked Krishnan to consider including police personnel from northeast on deputation.
The Delhi Police counsel said that nodal officers have been appointed for different police districts to look into the grievances of the people from the northeastern states.
The court then directed Delhi Police to "make adequate publicity" about the appointments, so that people from the northeastern states are made aware of such nodal officers and can approach them for redressal of their problems.
"We further direct the Delhi Police to interact with the people from the region in Delhi for suggestions for alleviating the issue.
The court also asked a group from people from the northeast, who sought impleadment in the case, to give their suggestion on the safety and security of people from the region living in other part of the country to the government.
Filing the application, the confederation of people from the northeast informed the court that in the recent past, 26 cases of racial attacks on people from northeast have been reported.
At this, the court asked police to inform it "as to how many of the said complaint cases were registered as FIRs and the status of investigations".
The court now posted the matter for further hearing on Monday.
The court took suo moto cognisance of the incident where Nido Tania, son of Arunachal Pradesh Congress legislator Nido Pavitra, was allegedly beaten up mercilessly by shopkeepers Jan 29 in south Delhi's Lajpat Nagar market following a quarrel over his appearance and clothing. He died in a hospital the next day.