Delhi Court Rejects Riot Probes
Delhi High Court Rejects Petitions Seeking Independent Probes Into 2020 Riots and Jamia Violence
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The petitions included specific requests: Shaikh Mujtaba sought FIRs over speeches by BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma, while Lawyers Voice sought FIRs concerning alleged speeches by several other political figures, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
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CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat sought an independent inquiry into alleged excesses by police, Rapid Action Force personnel and other officials; another petitioner, Ajay Gautam, sought an NIA probe into alleged funding of anti-CAA protests.
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The Supreme Court had earlier directed the High Court to expedite its decision on one of the petitions.
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In the Jamia matter, petitioner Nabila Hasan, then a law student, had also approached the National Human Rights Commission over the alleged police assault on students.
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The High Court had reserved its verdict on the petitions on July 24; police also argued that transferring the Jamia investigation to another agency would widen the scope of the original proceedings.
The Delhi High Court rejected multiple petitions seeking independent investigations into the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots and December 2019 violence at Jamia Millia Islamia, according to The Wire. The petitions had sought action against police officials and FIRs against several political leaders, but the court sided with police arguments that existing probes were sufficient. The 2020 riots killed at least 53 people and injured around 700.
Among the rejected requests: one petitioner sought FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma over alleged hate speeches, while another pushed for charges against Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Maktoob Media reported. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat had sought an independent inquiry into alleged police excesses.
Court Dismisses Calls for Political Accountability
Multiple petitions demanded FIRs against political figures for alleged hate speech during the anti-CAA protests. Shaikh Mujtaba specifically named four BJP leaders. Lawyers Voice sought cases against several other politicians from different parties. The Wire noted the court rejected all these demands, finding insufficient grounds to proceed.
Police Opposed Expanding or Transferring Investigations
Police argued that existing probes had preserved critical evidence like CCTV footage and that transferring cases would widen the scope unnecessarily, CNBC TV18 reported. Officers resisted calls for independent or special investigation teams. The court accepted this position, determining current investigations were adequate despite demands from civil society groups.
In the Jamia matter, authorities argued that shifting the probe would expand original proceedings beyond their intended scope. Petitioner Nabila Hasan, a law student at the time, had also filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission over alleged police assault on students, according to Deccan Chronicle.
Supreme Court Had Pushed for Faster Decisions
The Supreme Court had previously directed the Delhi High Court to speed up its decision on one of the petitions. The High Court reserved its verdict on July 24. Siasat reported that the court ultimately rejected all requests for expanded or independent investigations despite this earlier pressure from India's top court.
Separate Probes Into Police Conduct Also Rejected
Activists and opposition leaders had sought an independent inquiry into alleged excesses by police and Rapid Action Force personnel during both incidents. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat pushed specifically for an investigation into officer misconduct. Another petitioner requested an NIA probe into alleged funding of anti-CAA demonstrations. The court denied all such requests.
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