NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s effort at
cracking down on Diwali-eve gambling had tragic consequences on Monday night
when a raiding party allegedly beat to death Sushil Kumar, a 32-year-old PCO
operator at Madipur in the Punjabi Bagh area.
Sushil’s death resulted in large-scale
rioting in the area in a matter of hours. Angry residents took on the police,
and in the early hours of Tuesday, a couple of pitched battles ended up in the
riot squad being called out. Mobs went around pelting stones at the police,
burning vehicles and blocking traffic.
According to Sushil’s relatives, five
policemen picked him up from his house at
11 pm
on Monday, claiming he had tipped off some gamblers about a police
raid. Kumar was kept at a nearby police post for over two hours, where he was
allegedly bashed up. When he was dropped home, Kumar complained of giddiness
and pain in stomach. He was immediately moved to the
Maharaja
Agrasen
Hospital
, where he was declared brought
dead. The preliminary autopsy confirms he died of internal injuries.
Kumar’s case has opened a can of worms.
There have been complaints of police high-handedness during the Diwali season.
Revellers allege that the police go on an overdrive during Diwali to earn fast
bucks.
Criminal lawyer Ashish Bhagat says, ‘‘It
might be true that gambling increases during Diwali. But it is untrue that all
such cases come under the purview of the Public Gambling Act.’’ The Delhi
Police have registered 1,138 cases under the Public Gambling Act this year.
Till October last year, they had registered 1,021 case.
A senior police officer admitted that the
drive against gambling has become a source of easy money for policemen. ‘‘A
fortnight before Diwali is considered to be the most lucrative time to extort
money. It’s easy for junior police personnel to get permission from the DCP to
raid almost any place on the pretext of controlling gambling,’’ says the
officer.
It’s not just money, though. ‘‘There have
been incidents when people have been rounded up just because a particular
policeman had an axe to grind. All this is done on the pretext of controlling
gambling,’’ he says. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 gives legal validity to
gamblers until it is made a business to earn a profit or a commission. Gambling
is also an offence if conducted in public places.
Five suspended
Five policemen, including an assistant sub
inspector, were suspended on Tuesday following the death of Sushil Kumar. A
case of murder has been registered against them and an SDM probe ordered. The
matter has been referred to the NHRC.
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