By IANS,
New Delhi : A member of the national minorities commission Sunday sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged killing of a Sikh man, Nirmal Singh, by three Delhi policemen here Friday night.
“Since the family of the deceased has no faith in the investigation by Delhi Police, a CBI probe is the only option to unravel the facts. There is a grain of truth in what the family of the deceased is saying,” Harcharan Singh Josh told IANS Sunday.
Josh, a member of India’s National Commission for Minorities (NCM), a statutory panel to protect the interests of minorities in the country, Sunday visited the house of Nirmal Singh in Vishnu Garden in west Delhi.
He met Nirmal Singh’s widow Kiran Bala and other relatives who gave a written complaint against the policemen and sought action against them.
“Whatever I can make out of my interaction with the victim’s family and the inspection of the spot, the role of local cops appears to be doubtful. It appears to be a case of custodial death,” he said.
He said that he would submit his report to the NCM Monday with a recommendation for CBI probe. “The NCM will take the final decision, most probably by Wednesday,” he said.
“They (the family) said that three policemen, sub-inspector Ram Niwas, head constable Rambir and constable Naresh, barged into their house at 10.30 p.m. and beat Singh to death,” said Josh.
The victim’s family alleged the policemen had come to arrest Nirmal Singh, citing court orders against him after a cheque worth Rs.28,500 had bounced.
Ashok, the complainant on whose plea the court issued a non-bailable warrant against Singh, accompanied the policemen.
Delhi Police, however, said there was no circumstantial evidence to corroborate the family’s allegations.
“He (Nirmal Singh) was found lying unconscious in the bathroom. The door of the bathroom was broken open in the presence of around 20 people, including the three policemen. There was no visible injury mark on the victim’s body,” Rajan Bhagat, Delhi Police spokesperson, told IANS.
“He was rushed to the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.”
Bhagat said that a police official in the rank of assistant commissioner of police (ACP) was already holding an inquiry.
“The inquiry is already going on. The post-mortem examination report from the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital is expected Monday. We will not spare anyone if found guilty,” he added.