The Bombay High Court criticized the police for failing to register an FIR in a suspected abetment of suicide case, despite a magistrate’s order in June 2024. It imposed a cost of Rs20,000 on the State for the delay.
The HC was hearing a petition by a Bengaluru-based father seeking justice for his son, who allegedly died by suicide on January 6, 2024. The plea accused son’s four colleagues of harassment that led to the suicide.
Despite several representations and a letter to the RAK MMarg Police Station, the police did not register an FIR. The father then filed a private complaint before the Magistrate’s Court at Sewree, which, on June 22, 2024, directed the police to file an FIR and submit a status report on the investigation. The Magistrate had also directed the police commissioner to to monitor and ensure that proper investigation is done in the case. However, the police failed to comply.
Hence, the father approached the HC.
The father’s plea also claimed that he had requested the police to retrieve CCTV footage from his son’s office, between the period December 27, 2023, and January 5, 2024, but received no response. Hence, he had approached the magistrate.
A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan had asked the senior inspector Sandip Randive of the RAK Marg police station to remain present before the court. Randive admitted that he only became aware of the magistrate’s order on the day of the court hearing.
The bench expressed its displeasure over the police’s inaction, calling it “extremely disturbing.” Randive assured the court that the FIR would be registered immediately.
Observing the father’s ordeal in securing justice, the court directed the State to pay Rs20,000 as costs to him within four weeks. The court also ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone 4, to initiate a departmental inquiry and recover the costs from the salaries of those police officers responsible for the delay.
The HC has kept the matter for further hearing on December 17.
