Within eight years, there were 20 cases against Singh; he was convicted in 5 of them. He ended up in jail for six and a half years.

Twenty seven years ago, public-spirited Prempal Singh, a resident of Sangam Vihar, intervened to prevent four men from beating up a woman in his neighbourhood and complained to the police. But the cops, to his shock, colluded with the culprits, who influenced them to register an FIR against Singh -- a poor mason -- under the draconian TADA and Arms Act.

THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING

After Singh tried to expose corruption within the police ranks, many more cases against him, including of murder, rape and drug possession followed. His son Sanjay and wife Munni Devi were also implicated in several false cases.

Within eight years, there were 20 cases against Singh; he was convicted in 5 of them. He ended up in jail for six and a half years.

TWO CASES WERE EVEN WITHDRAWN

While Sanjay was implicated in 13 cases -- leading to his imprisonment for one year, 5 months -- Munni Devi was framed in one case, leading to her detention for 28 days.

Financial constraints prevented them from filing appeals against the convictions, and Singh and his family members were branded as "known criminals of NCT" which resulted in their isolation from the rest of the society .

A court in 2004 ordered him a compensation of Rs 8 lakhs while acquitting him in a false rape case in which he spent nearly 3 years in jail.

The judge remarked: 'This case shows that the police has persons of animal character in it." Observing that the incarceration had converted Singh into a "living corpse", court directed the police commissioner to initiate action against the cops responsible for his torture, and illegal imprisonment.

But Singh, who is now 65 years old, was not ready to take the apathy lying down and decided to file a complaint himself.

BUT THERE WAS A CATCH

A rule in the Delhi Police Act-Section 140 mandated that any complaint for action must be filed within three months of the incident, while all the cases were foisted on Singh between 1991 and 1999.

Singh, through Supreme Court advocate Wills Mathews, has now challenged the provision as in violation of right to life and personal liberty under the Constitution.

Significantly, the Delhi High Court issued a notice on Singh's plea and sought the response of the Centre, the Home Ministry and the Delhi government, and fixed November 11 as the next date of hearing.

"How can a man who has been badly tortured and suffered grevious injuries be in a position to file a complaint against the police within three months? This rule is ridiculous and must be quashed", Advocate Mathews argued in the High Court.