Delhi HC on police arresting SUV driver for coaching centre deaths

NEW DELHI: (PTI) “Have they lost it?” That was the Delhi High Court’s poser on Wednesday as it pulled up Delhi Police for its “strange probe” against an SUV driver arrested for his alleged role in the drowning of three IAS aspirants at a coaching centre.

The strong words of the high court, however, did not come to the rescue of jailed SUV driver whose bail plea was dismissed by a magisterial court later in the day.

Judicial Magistrate Vinod Kumar rejected the bail plea of five accused, including SUV driver Manuj Kathuria, who was termed to be a “masti-khor” (fun lover) by the Delhi Police in their vehement opposition to his bail plea.

In the high court, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said a “strange probe” was going on with the Delhi Police taking action against a man who drove a car outside the coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar here but not acting against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials.

“What is Delhi Police doing? Have they lost it? What are its officials who are monitoring the probe doing? This is a cover up or what?” the court said.