Delhi HC questions basis of pleas seeking reinvestigation into ’20 riots

A bench of justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain asked the petitioner, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, to present concrete evidence to support its plea for reinvestigation

New Delhi

In its petition, Jamiat, along with other individuals, had sought a court-monitored probe, asserting that the Delhi Police had conducted its investigation without adhering to the basic principles of law. (Representative photo)

The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the basis of petitions seeking an SIT probe into the 2020 Delhi riots on the premise that the Delhi Police’s investigation was unreliable, noting that neither the accused nor the victims had challenged the charge sheet in the past six years and that the plea was instead being advanced by “outsiders.”

A bench of justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain asked the petitioner, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, to present concrete evidence to support its plea for reinvestigation and to substantiate its claim that the Delhi Police’s probe could not be relied upon.

“Why do we distrust the highest police officials? The person against whom the chargesheet is filed is not coming to court, he’s not coming but outsiders are coming & saying it should be re-investigated.. None has challenged the chargesheet saying that it is partial or biased.. not the sufferers or the accused, how can this court interfere with the trial? Those who are charge-sheeted are not saying to open the investigation... They are saying we will contest it in court... ” the bench remarked.

It also sought FIRs against political leaders Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Verma, among others, for alleged hate speeches during the CAA–NRC protests that purportedly incited the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, which claimed over 50 lives.

On November 21, the high court said that judicial discipline was stopping it from considering a batch of petitions seeking registration of FIRs against political leaders, as a similar matter was being considered by the Supreme Court.

The matter would be next heard on December 15, when the Delhi Police is likely to present its arguments opposing the petitions.