Delhi Police moves HC against NHRC order over Tihar Jail inmate's death in court

New Delhi : Delhi Police on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court to contest the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) criticisms regarding their alleged negligence that led to a murder suspect's death in the courtroom.

The suspect, Shahnawaz Ansari, an inmate of Delhi's Tihar Jail was fatally shot in a courtroom in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor District on December 17, 2019.

Justice Subramonium Prasad, addressing the plea, issued a notice and temporarily halted the NHRC's directive which required the Delhi Police to pay a compensation of Rs 7 lakh to the family of the deceased.

Delhi Police argued that their personnel, tasked with escorting the accused to court, were unarmed and that the responsibility for ensuring safety within the courtroom fell on the Uttar Pradesh Police.

The court has now called for the inclusion of the Uttar Pradesh Police as a defendant in the case, seeking further examination into the security lapse that led to Ansari's death amid court proceedings.

Moreover, an amicus curiae has been appointed to provide expert legal insight, and the matter will be heard next on July 18.