Bombay High Court asks SBI to preserve video of cops hitting teen

The Bombay High Court has directed the State Bank of India (Bandra east branch) to preserve the CCTV footage of an alleged incident of policemen — attached to the Kherwadi police station — assaulting a class 12 student, who allegedly did not stop at a nakabandi, last month.

A division bench of Justice BP Dharmadhikari and Justice Revati Mohite Dhere gave the direction while hearing a petition filed by Chandrakant Shivram Karambale, father of 18-year-old deceased, Satej.

Advocate Jayant Bardeskar, appearing for the petitioner, argued that on January 7, Satej had driven his father’s two-wheeler to college. “While returning, he was stopped by a police officer at a nakabandi in front of Mahatma Gandhi Vidyalaya and State Bank of India for not wearing a helmet. However, when he stopped a little ahead of the nakabandi, one or two police constables struck him with a wooden rod on the head two to three times,” Bardeskar said.

The plea states that Satej got unconscious due to the assault and was rushed to the Holy Family Hospital where he was kept in the ICU for two days. Karambale had on the same day approached the Kherwadi police to lodge an FIR against the accused policemen but no action has been taken by senior police officers.

Bardeskar said, “The petitioner has approached the court to attain justice for his son as none of the authorities is granting him and his family what he deserves.”

The petition states that the victim is a young boy, and his life has come to a standstill due to undesired actions of the police constables. Further, not only have they flouted their duties, but they have also taken undue advantage of the same. Thus, the petitioner wishes that the misbehaviour of these persons is met with justice and equity.

The petition prays for directions to the Kherwadi police to register an FIR against the accused and direct SBI to hand over the footage captured on three cameras installed by it.