What happened (Rajasthan High Court questions delay and investigative lapses)
Jitendra Kumar (24) approached the Rajasthan High Court seeking a fair investigation, completion of the probe, and filing of a chargesheet in a case of an alleged attack on a Dalit family in Bharatpur district, Rajasthan.
The case involved repeated transfers of the investigation among different investigating officers. The Rajasthan High Court noted that the investigation changed hands six times over the previous two years and questioned the delay and lack of supervisory review over the pending probe.
An FIR was registered in May 2024 after an alleged attack on Jitendra Kumar and family members. The case also involved a counter-FIR filed by alleged influential attackers against the victims, while police findings reportedly treated the counter-case as frivolous.
The probe was handled by up to six investigating officers, including a Circle Officer and five additional Superintendents of Police, including one posted in a civil rights cell.
The Rajasthan High Court treated the 60-day completion expectation under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 as central and questioned why the investigation was not completed even after 26 months. Jitendra Kumar argued that repeatedly calling him again after each officer change amounted to harassment.
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