Delhi Court seeks report on status of investigation in Manoj Vashist Encounter case

New Delhi [India], March 28 (ANI): Delhi's Tis Hazari court has called for a report on the status of investigation from Delhi Police in Manoj Vashist Encounter case of 2015.
Vashist was killed in an encounter in Sagar Ratna Restaurant in Rajender Nagar Delhi on May 16, 2015.
An FIR had been registered in Baghpat Police Station (Uttar Pradesh) on the complaint of the family members of Vashist. The same was sent to Delhi police by the Uttar Pradesh police as the place of occurrence was Delhi.
Judicial Magistrate of First Class (JMFC) Preeti has called for a status report from Station House Officer (SHO) Rajender Nagar on the application moved by the family member of Manoj Vashist.
"This is an application seeking status report for the FIR no. 640/2015 under section 147, 148, 149, 302 and 506 IPC, the court noted in the order of March 26, 2025. SHO is directed to file a reply on April 2, 2025.
An application was moved through advocate Parikshit Sharma and stated that the instant matter was previously adjudicated by Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Rishabh Kapoor on January 17, 2020, directing the concerned SHO to file a detailed status report regarding the investigation.
It is further submitted that on 31.01.2021, further directions were issued by the court. Subsequently, inspector Devender Singh Oberoi had submitted that a reply of December 29, 2020 had been received from SSP Baghpat.
It was further submitted that an inquiry from DCP (HO) revealed that the documents pertaining to FIR No. 640/15 under Sections 147, 148, 149, 302, 506 IPC had been transferred to the CBI for further investigation, the plea said.
It is further stated that there was a petition before the CBI Court, Rouse Avenue Court, for further proceedings.
However, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Jyoti Maheshwari of Rouse Avenue Court had observed on March 4 of this year, "A perusal of the report shows that a xerox copy of FIR No. 640/15 of PS Baghpat, UP was received in CBI, SC-I Branch, New Delhi, through a forwarding letter dated 24.10.2015 of DCP, Central, Delhi Police. The letter was addressed to DSP, CBI, SC-I, wherein it is mentioned that the zero FIR, along with relevant documents, was being sent to CBI for necessary action, to be taken at the end of CBI."
The plea has submitted that the matter in question is of utmost importance as it pertains to a grievous act of custodial killing and police brutality, which is an affront to the rule of law and the principles of justice enshrined in the Constitution of India.
The failure to conduct an impartial and time-bound investigation in such a serious case amounts to a violation of the fundamental rights of the complainant and the victim's family, the plea read. (ANI)