HC gives last opportunity to file rejoinders, affidavits on pleas over Delhi violence
Jul 21, 2020
New Delhi [India], July 21 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted the last opportunity to file rejoinders and affidavits by the concerned parties on several petitions filed over the northeast Delhi violence in February this year.
A division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, while allowing an adjournment in the matter, expressed displeasure with the concerned parties and have the last opportunity to file their affidavit on or before the coming Friday.
The matter will now be taken up by the court for further hearing on July 27.
The Delhi Police had recently filed its affidavit on the pleas and submitted that the police authorities acted promptly, vigilantly, and effectively without any fear or favour as a result of which violence could be contained in few days and to a limited area.
"Speeches of political leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Pravesh Verma, Waris Pathan, and others are being examined by the Delhi Police and necessary action in this regard will be taken in due course of time if it is found on the evidence that their speech had any nexus with the riots," the affidavit said.
In the affidavit, the Delhi Police said that the petitions raising questions on the investigation is nothing but a blatant and brazen misuse of the public interest litigation (PIL).
"It is also submitted that the petitioners in the present petition have not come before this court with clean hands. They have selectively chosen certain speeches and incidents to further their hidden agenda," Delhi Police had said in its affidavit.
"It is stated that the selective outrage by the petitioners towards specific incidents while ignoring other abhorrent incidents of violence, itself manifest that the present petitions are not bonafide but motivated need to be dismissed," it added.
The High Court had earlier expressed concern over the delay in action by the law enforcement agencies in containing violence and directed the Delhi Police to examine the videos related to hate speeches by political leaders, which allegedly led to violence in northeast Delhi.
Around 53 people lost their lives in the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi after clashes erupted between two opposing factions over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
