A man suspected to have been involved in a jewellery heist in northwest Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar has written to the Lieutenant Governor and the Delhi Police Commissioner, claiming that he was tortured in police custody. The man claimed both his legs were broken during the questioning, though X-ray reports are awaited.
While the man has so far not been put under arrest, police maintain he is the prime suspect and is lying about the assault. Police said that when the suspect was allowed to go from the police station the day after he was picked up, there were no injuries on his body, and that false claims of assault are meant to misdirect investigation.
According to the suspect’s medicolegal report, doctors at Hindu Rao hospital said he had sustained bruises, swelling and tenderness on the left ankle. The report has also asked the patient to get three X-rays in the left foot, results of which are awaited.
DCP (northwest) Aslam Khan denied the assault claims and said, “He is the main suspect in the case. We have at least 10 people who have identified him from CCTV footage. He was seen in the footage with another accused.”
The CCTV footage was collected after police were alerted about a robbery at Shri Ram Jewellers showroom in Swaroop Nagar on February 19. Three employees at the jewellery store were held hostage by three bike-borne men, who fled with jewellery worth Rs 15 lakh and Rs 60,000 in cash.
Police had spent two days looking for the accused and later the store owner had told police that the suspect used to work for him. “CCTV footage shows the suspect driving the vehicle… The three of them were conducting a recce,” alleged a police officer.
The man claimed that on February 21 night, he was picked up from his house by five policemen on charges of committing the robbery. “I was taken to Swaroop Nagar police station and assaulted. They made me lie down on the floor and one of the policemen sat on my back. Two other policemen pulled my legs and kept asking me to give them details of the robbery. But I was not involved,” he alleged.
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