File photo of Delhi Police. (Reuters)
New Delhi: A Delhi court has ordered action against erring police officials for failing to serve summons to the complainant in a case of alleged manufacture of fake soft drinks of popular brands, saying the cops did not make a serious effort to trace the man despite technological advancement.
“The charges are very serious but it appears that the state agency is not taking steps seriously. Despite being given specific directions in the June 29, 2016 order, no efforts were made to trace out the address of the complainant Manoj Kumar… from the Internet or other telephonic sources like Just Dial.
“The same situation has been observed in one more case in which notices have been directed to the DCP concerned,” Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate Naresh Kumar Laka said.
The court directed the order copy be sent to the DCP as well as the SHO concerned and “action be also taken against erring police officials who did not comply the last order and report be filed on February 16, 2017”.
While pulling up the police officials, the court said, “It clearly shows that judicial orders passed by this court have not been perused and complied with and summons were sent to the witness in the traditional manner.”
It said, “Although there is no procedure for taking assistance of Internet but it is felt that on account of rapid advancement of science and technology, whereabouts of the witnesses and the addresses of the company of complainant can be searched from the available means.”
The court had issued summons to the complainant through the DCP and the SHO concerned.
In the complaint lodged in Kalyanpuri in east Delhi, Manoj Kumar had accused two men of infringing copy rights by manufacturing and possessing spurious/fake soft drinks of various famous brands — Pepsi, Mirinda, Coca Cola, Dew, Limca among others in a large quantities. The accused persons, who are out on bail, were charged with various offences under the Copyrights Act, 1957.