E-Paper
Delhi riots: L-G refers lawyers’ panel issue to President
New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on Thursday referred the issue pertaining to the appointment of a panel of lawyers to argue cases from February’s
New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on Thursday referred the issue pertaining to the appointment of a panel of lawyers to argue cases from February’s communal riots in the Capital to the President.
The L-G also issued an interim order, saying till the matter is resolved by the President the panel of lawyers appointed by the Delhi Police and approved by his office will continue to argue cases.
The Delhi government in a statement said that Baijal invoked Article 239AA(4) of the Indian Constitution and referred the dispute to the President, citing “differences of opinion” with the elected government.
On Tuesday, the Delhi Cabinet, in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had rejected the panel of lawyers proposed by the Delhi Police, saying it would not help a “free and fair” trial of the cases related to the riots in north-east Delhi. Following this, Kejriwal on Wednesday evening went to meet the L-G to discuss the issue.
“The L-G invoked special powers granted to him under the Constitution. The home department of the Delhi government has been ordered to approve the panel chosen by the Delhi Police. The Delhi government will now have to implement the order at any cost as it is mandated by the Constitution,” the statement read.
The L-G’s office refused to comment on the matter.
On July 10, the Delhi police had sent a proposal to the Delhi government recommending the names of six special public prosecutors including Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aman Lekhi to argue 85 cases related to the riots and the anti-CAA protests. But, the Delhi government had rejected Delhi police’s panel and had asked its home department to constitute an “impartial panel of the best possible lawyers in the country” to fight the cases of riots, which claimed 53 lives and left over 400 injured.
