NE Delhi riots: Court pulls up prosecutor

A Delhi court has reprimanded a special public prosecutor for throwing a file and behaving aggressively during a hearing in a 2020 Delhi riots case. The court has referred the matter to the Delhi Police Commissioner and the District and Sessions Judge and warned the prosecutor to be more careful in maintaining the court's decorum.

A Delhi court on Wednesday pulled up a special public prosecutor for throwing a file and getting aggressive during the hearing in a 2020 north-east Delhi riots case.

The court issued a warning to the SPP to desist from showing any kind of aggression before the court and to be much careful in maintaining the court’s decorum. (Representational image)

Additional sessions judge Pulastya Pramachala referred the matter to the Delhi Police Commissioner as well as District and Sessions Judge, Karkardooma court to look into the matter, and said that steps should be taken avoid a repeat of the incident.

“The matter is referred to ld. Commissioner of Police to take stock of such situation, because it is after all matter of representation of the prosecution. The matter is also referred to ld. District &Sessions Judge (NE), KKD Courts, Delhi, so as to intimate him about the aforesaid conduct of ld. SPP in this case,” the court said while referring the matter.

The court also issued a warning to the SPP to desist from showing any kind of aggression before the court and to be much careful in maintaining the court’s decorum.

The court was hearing a case registered at Bhajanpura Police station in which various vehicles were vandalised and a petrol pump in the area was also set ablaze during the communal riots.

While recording statements of a witness, the special public prosecutor Rajeev Krishan Sharma started showing aggression towards the court and threw his file.

The court took note of the prosecutor’s actions “which were against the decorum of the court”, and stopped recording the statements of the witness. The court observed, “It appears that with such approach of the learned SPP, it shall not be easy to conduct further proceedings in this case.”

The court said that an aggrieved party is always at liberty to move to a higher forum in order to avail legal remedies instead of showing aggression before the court.

“I do not find the conduct SPP to be very professional....SPP cannot be an exception to the kind of professionalism required to be maintained before a court of law,” judge Pramanchala said.

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