Court asks police chief to probe allegation against cops

A court here has asked the Delhi Police Commissioner to initiate probe into allegations that some cops have been threatening a witness not to depose against Tihar jail authorities in a CBI inquiry into the death of an undertrial and had even implicated him in a false case.
"If there is even an iota of truth in the allegations of witness Mohd Rashid, the same is very serious matter," Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ajay Pandey said.
The court directed the police commissioner to take appropriate action on allegations against an Additional Sub-Inspector that he lodged a false case against witness Mohd Rashid to dissuade him from deposing against Tihar jail authorities and then released him on bribe of Rs 25,000.

"The allegations make out a clear case of extortion and bribery.... In the facts and circumstances, it is rightly submitted by his counsel that an FIR is required to be registered on the allegations.
"A copy of this order be sent to commissioner of police with a view to take appropriate action in the matter," the court said.
The CMM passed the order on a plea for protection made by Rashid through advocate S C Joshi and also directed the CBI to "expedite the matter" and "provide adequate security" to the witness.

Rashid is a witness in the case of custodial death of an undertrial in a murder case, Mobin Thakur, in 2007. Rashid was himself in jail for another offence at the time when Thakur had died.

The probe into the custodial death was handed over to the CBI by the Delhi High Court on the plea of Mobin's widow.
Rashid's counsel told the court that he had in his statement to CBI made certain allegations against the jail superintendent, deputy superintendent and warden.