3 min readApr 5, 2026 07:25 PM ISTThe submissions came weeks after Kamal Dhyani (25) fell into a 15-feet deep excavation pit — dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for development work — around 12.15 am on February 6 in Palam Colony.There is no CCTV installed inside the Janakpuri police station and the one installed near the back gate is “not operational”. This is what the Delhi Police told a court recently after an accused in the case related to the death of a biker, due to fall into a deep pit in February, alleged illegal detention.ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEOThe Delhi Police was responding to a plea by subcontractor Rajesh Prajapati. The submissions came weeks after Kamal Dhyani (25) fell into a 15-feet deep excavation pit — dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for development work — around 12.15 am on February 6 in Palam Colony.Prajapati, one of the main accused in the case, is currently in jail.“…no DVR (digital video recording) of back gate of PS Janakpuri is available for relevant time when the accused was allegedly brought to Janakpuri police station from (the) back-gate. The ground taken is that the camera installed near the back gate is installed on the premises of the police colony nearby and is not installed within the police station premises. Sub-inspector Awant submits that the above-said camera was not operational and therefore, DVR could not be procured,” read the order dated April 4 by Judicial Magistrate First Class Shiv Kumar of the Dwarka Court.Dhyani had allegedly remained trapped for about eight hours in the pit. A preliminary inquiry by the DJB into the death had found that mandatory safety arrangements were not enforced and the site was left without supervision.During the court proceedings, Prajapati had claimed that he was illegally detained by the police on February 6 even as his arrest memo states that he was formally arrested only around 4 pm the next day.After heeding the police submission, the court had issued notice to the SHO and SI of the Police station.“At the request of Ld. counsel for the accused, opportunity is granted to the concerned SHO to explain as to whether the accused was kept with SI Manoj and if so, produce the relevant CCTV footage,” the court said.“…issue court notice to SHO concerned through SI Awant to clarify the steps taken to install cctv camera of the back gate of the PS Janakpuri and also to reply in writing the location tracking from where the accused was apprehended along with CDR (call detail records) of accused from 06.02.2026 from 06:00 pm to 08.02.2026 till 10:00 am. Same is communicated to all participants,” it added.Story continues below this adOn February 28, Judicial Magistrate First Class Harjot Singh Aujla had dismissed Prajapati’s bail plea but had kept the issue of alleged illegal detention pending. The Magistrate had then noted inconsistencies in the stand taken by the investigating officer regarding the functioning of CCTV cameras and had issued notice to the DCP (West) to submit a comprehensive report on the detention.Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:cctvJanakpuriAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...