Northeast Delhi violence: HC directs police to respond by 12:30 pm on plea

The Delhi High Court directed police to respond by 12:30 pm on Wednesday to a plea seeking lodging of FIRs and arrests of those involved in the ongoing communal violence in parts of northeast Delhi over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Talwant Singh said a senior-level police officer, who is aware of the facts, should be present before it at 12:30 pm with instructions.

The bench said it does not require the presence of all the police officers as they are required to be at the spot of violence.

The court said police does not need its direction to take action in relation to the violence and police should take suo motu action as "this is very important".

The matter was mentioned for urgent hearing before Justice Muralidhar's bench by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for human rights activist Harsh Mander, as the bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel before whom the matter was listed will not be holding court on Wednesday.

The court told central government's standing counsel Amit Mahajan representing Delhi Police Commissioner that since they were served with an advanced copy of the petition they should come with instructions during the day.

It also issued notices to the Delhi government, Delhi Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police of northeast Delhi.

The petition filed by Mander and activist Farah Naqvi sought setting up of an special investigation (SIT) team to inquire into the incident and compensation for those killed and injured in the violence.

Advocate Sneha Mukherjee, while mentioning the plea, said they are seeking that action be taken against certain individuals who are inciting people and making hate speeches due to which violence has erupted in various parts of northeast Delhi.

It has also sought directions to the Centre for deployment of the Army to maintain law and order in the national capital and areas where the "communal attack on people are most ferocious".

Communal violence over the amended citizenship law in northeast Delhi claimed at least 17 lives till Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the violence escalated in northeast Delhi as police struggled to check the rioters who ran amok on streets, burning and looting shops, pelting stones and thrashing people.

Delhi Police head constable, Ratan Lal, was among those killed in the violence that erupted on Monday over the amended citizenship law.

The petition, filed through advocates Fazal Abdali and Nabila Hasan, said that on February 22, around 500 people reached the Jafrabad Metro Station where women were holding peaceful protests against the CAA.

On February 23, BJP leader Kapil Mishra held a rally in support of the CAA near the Maujpur Metro Station, situated at a distance of 1.4 km from the Jafrabad Police Station, and allegedly made "inflammatory, provocative and inciteful statements" and also posted a tweet on social media in this regard, it alleged.

The petition sought direction to the authorities to register an FIR against Mishra, Union minister Anurag Thakur and BJP MP Parvesh Verma and others who are allegedly "engaged in criminal activities, including rioting and inciting hatred among classes under the Indian Penal Code and the Damage of Public Property Act.

It has sought direction to the authorities to declare on their website the full list with names of persons that were detained by police and paramilitary forces.

It sought to provide detained persons access to their family members and to legal counsel and also to preserve the evidence and CCTV footage of all cameras in and around the protest sites.

The plea said the authorities be directed to ensure the safety and protection of all the protest sites, especially women and children.