Delhi riots: Couldn’t find source of Tanha’s statement leak, police tells HC

Advocate Rajat Nair, appearing for the police, further said that no leaks have been made by the police.

The city police on Thursday told the Delhi high court that it questioned several officers and journalists but was unable to establish the source of the leak of Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha’s alleged confessional statement which was part of a sheet filed in connection to the northeast Delhi riots. Police further said that they are issuing directions to ensure such issues are “not repeated in the future”.

Tanha, who was arrested in May 2020, was recently released from jail after the high court granted him bail in the riots case on a larger conspiracy. (AFP)

In a status report filed before justice Mukta Gupta, Delhi Police said , “The enquiry officer could not establish the officers/office from where the details of investigation were shared with the media… during the present enquiry the enquiry officer has examined various media personnel who refused to share the details of their source from where they had accessed the investigation related documents.”

Advocate Rajat Nair, appearing for the police, further said that no leaks have been made by the police.

Tanha, who is accused in the larger conspiracy of hatching the riots in February last year, had moved the high court last year, alleging misconduct by police officials in leaking his alleged disclosure statement in the main charge sheet, which was recorded by the probe agency during the investigation, to the media. He is currently out on bail.

On the last date of hearing on July 6, the court had admonished the police for the delay in concluding its enquiry.

Pursuant to this, on Thursday, the police informed the court that directions are being issued to officers to handle case files with utmost alacrity, and that the charge sheets also be filed strictly following the due process. “It must also ensure that such issues raised in the present matter are not repeated in future,” the police said, adding that no prejudice has been caused to Tanha in his exercise of the right to a free and fair trial.

The court, noting the submissions, put the matter for further hearing on August 11.

Tanha, who was arrested in May 2020, was recently released from jail after the high court granted him bail in the riots case on a larger conspiracy.

The police had said that Tanha, a resident of Abul Fazal Enclave in Shaheen Bagh, was a member of the Students Islamic Organisation and was part of the Jamia Coordination Committee which spearheaded protests against the new citizenship law.