The Rajasthan High Court has intervened in a case involving an alleged land encroachment and attack on a Dalit family in Bharatpur district, after the police investigation changed hands six times in the last two years. The victim, Jitendra Kumar, 24, a resident of Bharatpur’s Bayana block, had moved the High Court seeking a fair investigation, completion of the probe, and filing of a chargesheet in the case. The case dates back to May 10, 2024, when an FIR was registered following an attack on Mr. Kumar and his family members by allegedly ‘politically influential’ people in a bid to encroach upon their agricultural land in Kair village.
In a counter-move, the accused also registered an FIR against the victims, which the police found to be frivolous. Despite this, the original case has been probed by as many as six investigating officers, including a Circle Officer and five Additional Superintendents of Police, without any conclusion. The offences for which 12 accused belonging to the Gujjar community were booked under the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST (PoA) Act included rioting, attempt to commit culpable homicide, causing grievous hurt, unlawful assembly, criminal trespass, and criminal intimidation.
Justice Shubha Mehta at the High Court’s Jaipur Bench observed that the failure to complete the investigation in time was ‘concerning’ and no satisfactory reason had been given for the delay. The court directed the Public Prosecutor to obtain affidavits from all investigating officers named in the factual report, explaining why the probe was not completed in 60 days and reasons for the subsequent delay. Similar affidavits were also sought from the officers forming the supervisory committee under Rule 7(3) of the SC/ST (PoA) Act.
The Centre for Dalit Rights (CDR) welcomed the High Court’s order, stating that the investigation could have been completed and the accused arrested if the authorities had complied with the statutory review mechanism. The matter will come up in the court for further hearing on September 7. The members of the supervisory committee include the Home Secretary, Director General of Police, Social Justice & Empowerment Secretary, and Director of Prosecution.
CDR Director Satish Kumar said though the committee was required to review pending cases under the SC/ST (PoA) Act once every quarter, the meetings were not held regularly and no relief was granted to Dalit victims.
