A Delhi court has ordered the registration of a criminal case against Mr. Rahul Balhara, a 2023-batch trainee Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, for allegedly assaulting a man with a glass bottle during an event in Kapashera in December 2024. Mr. Balhara is currently posted in Tripura.
The order was passed on May 3 by Judicial Magistrate First Class Nidhish Kumar Meena of the Dwarka court, who directed the station house officer of Kapashera police station to register an FIR against Mr. Balhara and three others — Ms. Ashwini Balhara, Mr. Vivek Chaudhary, and Mr. Kallu. The court also ordered submission of a compliance report within two days, which was submitted on Monday.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Mr. Vikas Dhayal, a civil services exam coach from Rajendra Nagar, who alleged that he was physically assaulted during a ceremony on December 6, 2024. According to Mr. Dhayal, a verbal altercation between one of his friends and Mr. Balhara escalated, leading to Mr. Balhara allegedly smashing a glass bottle on his head.
Mr. Dhayal reportedly suffered multiple head injuries and was treated at a hospital in Gurugram. In his court application, he alleged that police initially refused to register an FIR due to Mr. Balhara’s IPS status and instead recorded only a non-cognisable report, despite the availability of CCTV footage, which Mr. Dhayal later made public.
Represented by Advocate Anshul Kumar, Mr. Dhayal’s petition led the court to observe: “At this stage, I am of the considered view that prima facie cognisable offences have been committed by the alleged accused persons… The injury has been caused on the vital part of the body, i.e., the head, and the interest of justice demands that a thorough investigation be conducted.”
