Nido Tania with the police, the day he was allegedly beaten by shopkeepers at Lajpat Nagar
The medical reports of Nido Tania - the student from Arunachal Pradesh who died last week allegedly after being beaten by shopkeepers - have been delayed because of a huge backlog, the Delhi Police today told a court.
The Delhi High Court today slammed what it thought was a baffling delay in the post mortem and toxicology reports of the 20-year-old, over a week after he was found dead in his room.
Nido died last Thursday, hours after he was beaten by shopkeepers at Delhi's Lajpat Nagar market, in what his friends describe as a racist attack. There is no medical proof yet that the young man died of his injuries from the beating, though his family alleges it.
The police told the court that their investigation was complete but a final autopsy report, which includes the toxicology assessment, would fill all the gaps.
Asked why it had come without the reports for the second time this week, the police cited a "backlog of cases" with the Central Forensic Science Laboratory.
"There will be a backlog of cases. It is the police who have to take it up with the authorities. Conducting a post-mortem on time is a serious problem, a mechanism has to be developed," the judges observed. They also berated the forensic laboratory saying "what is this kind of attitude?"
The AIIMS hospital and forensic experts have been summoned on Monday.
The court also censured the police for a 'poor redressal system' for people from the northeast, who often complain of racist attacks and discrimination.
"The department needs to be sensitized. How will confidence of people build up?" the judges asked.
The top court said more officers from the northeast should be posted in each district for better policing against discrimination and hate crimes.