The Delhi High Court on Thursday (February 15) expressed dissatisfaction on the non-availability of some of the samples related to the case in which a  lady advocate of Delhi High Court, Deepa Arya was manhandled by Delhi Police personnel while forcibly trying to enter her house.

The bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked: “Why there is a delay in the submission of the CCTV footage. We want the results. We should know who the accused are, we aren’t forgetting the incident. So far the process of identification of the accused has not been started.”

The bench further questioned Rahul Mehra appearing for State of NCT of Delhi & Ors (Mehra is also standing counsel for Delhi government): “It is not an ordinary case. This is an emergency; it is a beginning of a situation which might not be able to come under control. The attack has been upon the members of the bar association due to another case.

“Action against the Investigating Officer (IO) sitting in that police station must be taken. Vital evidence has been lost from the laboratory. What are the samples being analysed? Liquid samples are being examined or not which was lifted on January 4, 2017, January 9, 2017 and January 27, 2017.”

To which Mehra replied that he needed one month of adjournment for that.

Bench questioned Mehra: “What will you do in March?”

Mehra replied: “Three police stations are involved, until all submit their reports, no further steps could be taken.”

The bench told Mehra: “Appropriate actions should be taken who is responsible for the delay in submission of the samples,” and listed the matter for next hearing to February 21, 2018.

—India Legal Bureau