SC to hear petitions for probe into R-Day tractor rally violence today

One of the petitions seeks the setting up of a commission headed by a retired apex court judge to probe the incident, direction to authorities to lodge FIRs against those responsible for the violence

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, will hear a clutch of petitions demanding investigations into the tractor rally violence in the Capital on Republic Day.

Demonstrators at Red Fort during the farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day, in New Delhi. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, will take up four different petitions on the issue of violence on January 26 and chaos on the streets of Delhi as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of iconic Red Fort.

In one of these petitions, advocate Vishal Tiwari has sought setting up of a commission headed by a retired apex court judge to inquire into the incident.

Tiwari has also sought direction to the concerned authority to lodge FIRs against individuals or organisations responsible for the violence and causing dishonour to the National Flag on January 26.

In another petition filed by Swati Goel Sharma and Sanjeev Newar, a prayer has been made for a probe by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) into the tractor rally violence.

Additionally, the petitioners have sought removal of the protesters from Delhi as well as from its borders.

Two more petitions will also be heard by the bench with these pleas.