HC raps govt, cops for crimes against people from NE

The Delhi High Court on Thursday slammed the city government and Delhi police for their failure to prevent a spurt in violence against people from the Northeastern states living in the Capital despite several directions.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday slammed the city government and Delhi police for their failure to prevent a spurt in violence against people from the Northeastern states living in the Capital despite several directions.

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A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said it was “pained” at such happenings, including the Monday incident in which a 29-year-old Manipuri youth was fatally assaulted during a brawl in Kotla Mubarkpur area of South Delhi.

While the court was informed that an FIR of the incident has been registered and all accused have been arrested, it decided to take a relook into some of its earlier direction and steps taken by the government to “educate and sensitise” the Delhiites on the grievances of northeastern people residing in the Capital.

The HC was also informed that the propensity of such incident was prevalent in the localities of Kotla Mubarakpur, Lajpat Nagar, and Delhi University area where a large chunk of the Northeast people lived in rented accommodation.

The HC then directed the SHOs having jurisdiction over these areas to submit a report of their assessment of the situation, the reason for such incidents, and the preventive steps being taken by them.

In February, the HC had directed the police to set up a special police unit for dealing with crime against people from the northeastern states in Delhi. “We would like to know the measures taken by the said cell and as to why the setting up thereof is appearing to be ineffective,” the HC remarked.

In another case, the HC issued show cause notices to two lawyers, who had allegedly abused and manhandled a woman advocate hailing from Arunachal Pradesh and some people from the northeast inside a district court here, asking them why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.

“This court is prima facie satisfied that the alleged act against the victims are of such nature prejudicing and interfering with the due course of judicial proceeding and administration of justice,” the HC remarked.

The HC directed the Delhi government to file a status report as to the steps taken pursuant to the FIR that has been registered against the lawyer. It further directed the District judge of Tis Hazari court, before whom the incident happened, to submit a report about the incident.