Delhi HC refuses to hear plea on NIA probe for CJP march violence

The High Court stated that decisions on which cases are deemed fit for an investigation by the NIA are taken by the central government.

The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to entertain a petition seeking a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the ongoing protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and the violence that accompanied the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)’s “Chalo Sansad” march to Parliament, observing that the decision on whether a case merits NIA investigation rests exclusively with the Centre.

Delhi HC refuses to hear a plea demanding an NIA probe into police violence inflicted during the CJP's July 20 'Chalo Sansad' march. (PTI)

A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia said the statutory framework under the NIA Act lays down the procedure for referring cases to NIA; the officer-in-charge of a police station forwards a report to the state government, which in turn sends it to the Centre for consideration.

The Central government alone is empowered to decide whether a case is a “fit case” for an NIA investigation, the court observed. “The call has to be taken by them (the Centre). It is for the Central government to take a decision. We cannot substitute our satisfaction with the satisfaction of the Central government,” the bench observed.