New Delhi:
A bootlegger arrested with a jerrycan containing about 20 litres of hooch in 2007 has been acquitted by a Delhi court as all that the police could produce before it during the trial was the empty container, leaving the court wondering where the entire beverage vanished.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACCM) Vidya Prakash acquitted local history-sheeter Dalip of Keshav Puram area in North West Delhi, suspecting the police role behind disappearance of the alcoholic beverage from its container before it could be produced in the court.
"The case property (liquor jerrycan) and accused remained in control of police officials till the case property was deposited in the malkhana (police station's store room).
Hence, tampering with the case property cannot be ruled out as the seal remained all along with police officials," ACMM Prakash said after finding the container empty.
The court said though the liquor can was sealed by the investigating officer, Head Constable Sajjan Singh, neither any handling-over memo or returning memo of the seal was prepared by him.
It also expressed displeasure over the police failure in trying to trace the source of illicit liquor, despite there being no dearth of incidents in Delhi leading to death and blindness among the poor due to hooch consumption.
"Very surprisingly, no efforts whatsoever have been made by the prosecution to have clue about the source from where the case property was arranged by the accused. At least some efforts must have been made by the police to interrogate him and conduct requisite investigation to know as to from where he had arranged the same," the court said.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACCM) Vidya Prakash acquitted local history-sheeter Dalip of Keshav Puram area in North West Delhi, suspecting the police role behind disappearance of the alcoholic beverage from its container before it could be produced in the court.
"The case property (liquor jerrycan) and accused remained in control of police officials till the case property was deposited in the malkhana (police station's store room).
Hence, tampering with the case property cannot be ruled out as the seal remained all along with police officials," ACMM Prakash said after finding the container empty.
The court said though the liquor can was sealed by the investigating officer, Head Constable Sajjan Singh, neither any handling-over memo or returning memo of the seal was prepared by him.
It also expressed displeasure over the police failure in trying to trace the source of illicit liquor, despite there being no dearth of incidents in Delhi leading to death and blindness among the poor due to hooch consumption.
"Very surprisingly, no efforts whatsoever have been made by the prosecution to have clue about the source from where the case property was arranged by the accused. At least some efforts must have been made by the police to interrogate him and conduct requisite investigation to know as to from where he had arranged the same," the court said.
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