An IPS officer from the Delhi Police was relieved from his duty with immediate effect, the Delhi police said on Saturday, 4 June.
The officer, Shankar Choudhury who was serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dwarka, had been asked to report to the police headquarters till further orders.
This happened hours after The Indian Express reported that an IPS officer of the AGMUT cadre, posted in Delhi, had allegedly created a ruckus at a party he attended on Friday night and thrown glasses, hurting a woman.
Minutes after the media reports, the Delhi Police PRO issued a statement saying that there had been a miscommunication and that it was a family matter that had been resolved. Despite this clarification from the police, Shankar Choudhury was relieved from his duty as DCP Dwarka, only a few hours later.
Clarification Issued Earlier in The Day
The statement issued by the Delhi Police PRO earlier in the day read, "A PCR call was received in the wee hours of 4 June at PS Greater Kailash in which it was mentioned that an officer of Delhi Police of the rank of DCP has assaulted a lady at a birthday party in a private club. Subsequently, a video clip of the victim was received wherein she stated that she along with her family were celebrating the birthday party of a family member. The concerned officer was also present along with his family. During the function, a glass fell upon the lady & she was injured. The husband of the lady got infuriated upon this as one person in the party was playing with the glass at that time."
The statement added, “Due to a miscommunication, the name of the DCP cropped up in the ensuing commotion. The matter has been resolved as it was a family issue.”
Soon after this, the DCP shared a letter with the media, by the woman stating that she wanted to ‘withdraw’ her complaint.
Past Controversy
In November 2021, The Indian Express reported that a Delhi Court had pulled up the DCP regarding the arrest of Rohit Gehlot, in connection with a firing case. The court had said that the Dwarka police had not followed legal provisions regarding the arrest.
The DCP was asked to file a report on whether legal requirements such as informing his family, were met.
According to this report, the gangster, Rohit Gehlot had told the court that he had been picked up from his home in November 2021 by four officers to meet the DCP and then taken to flats in Dwarka, and then Uttam Nagar, where he was blindfolded by the police and shot in the leg.
Earlier this year, the court asked the DCP to give due regard to Supreme Court guidelines on registration of FIR and rights of a person in custody. This came after non-compliance of the earlier order.
Gehlot's advocate said that he had been 'wrongly arrested' by the police.
(With inputs from The Indian Express.)
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