New Delhi, 28 July (H.S.): The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of Delhi Police Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-East) Sandeep Lamba from supervising a police investigation being conducted on the court’s directions and requested that the probe be assigned to another officer.

Sandeep Lamba had come under controversy after a video showing him allegedly slapping a woman during a recent protest at Jantar Mantar went viral. A bench headed by Justice Girish Kathpalia dismissed the petition.

During the hearing, the court observed that if any officer has committed a mistake, action will be taken against him in accordance with the law. However, the court questioned how it could hold an officer guilty or remove him from his duties without a fair trial.

When the petitioner’s counsel argued that Lamba had slapped a woman and therefore could not conduct an impartial investigation, as the petitioner herself was allegedly a victim of police excesses, the court remarked that if the entire police force was being questioned, it did not mean that the police should stop registering FIRs.

The petitioner, Jarnigar Fatima, had earlier approached the High Court alleging that she was illegally detained at the Jafrabad Police Station during the intervening night of March 24-25, 2025. Following the High Court’s order, police were directed to conduct an investigation into the matter, which is currently being carried out under the supervision of Sandeep Lamba.

The petitioner had argued that a video of Sandeep Lamba allegedly slapping a woman during the Jantar Mantar protest had gone viral, and therefore a fair investigation could not be expected under his supervision.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar