Delhi HC dismisses pleas for SIT probe into 2020 riots, 2019 Jamia violence

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a batch of petitions seeking a SIT probe into the 2020 riots in the national capital and the 2019 violence that broke out in Jamia Millia Islamia following anti-CAA protests.

Court dismisses pleas seeking separate probes

A bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain said, "for the reasons mentioned in the judgment, all the petitions are dismissed".

"The batch is decided into two parts, one is northeast Delhi riots and another is for Jamia Millia riots," the bench said while pronouncing the verdict.

A detailed judgment is awaited.

The court had reserved its verdict on the batch of petitions on July 24.

In the northeast Delhi riots matter, the court was hearing a batch of petitions seeking directions for setting up a special investigation team (SIT), commission of inquiry or a fact-finding committee, for medical treatment, grant of compensation and registration of FIRs against the erring police officers.

Some of the pleas also demanded that political leaders be booked for alleged hate speeches, and the formation of a SIT to probe the violence and FIRs against police officers.

A communal clash broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, amid citizenship law protests, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 700 injured.

Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, in its petition, has sought the formation of the SIT for an independent probe into the riots.

Pleas sought action against politicians, police

Petitioner Ajay Gautam has prayed for a NIA probe under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), to find out the "anti-national forces" behind the agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

A public interest litigation by Shaikh Mujtaba Farooq has sought FIRs against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Verma, and Abhay Verma for allegedly making hate speeches before the violence erupted in the area.

Lawyers Voice, another petitioner in the case, had sought police action against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as well as former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan, AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, former AIMIM MLA Warris Pathan, Mehmood Pracha, Harsh Mander, Mufti Mohammad Ismail, Swara Bhasker, Umar Khalid, former Bombay High Court judge BG Kolse Patil and others.

The police earlier said they had already created three SITs under the crime branch, and there was no evidence yet that their officers were involved in the violence or that political leaders instigated or participated in it.

They said their investigation prima facie revealed that it was not a case of any sporadic or spontaneous violence, but a well thought-out "conspiracy to destabilise the harmony in the society."

Authorities acted promptly, vigilantly, and effectively without any fear or favour and in a professional manner to control the law and order situation in the affected areas and to save life and property during the riots, the police claimed.

They told the high court that they had registered 757 FIRs in connection with the riots and that investigation was pending in 273 cases and trial was pending in 250.

The Supreme Court, in an order of December 2021, had requested the high court to dispose of expeditiously, preferably within three months, a plea seeking registration of FIRs against politicians accused of making hate speeches, which purportedly led to the riots.

Jamia violence petitions also dismissed

The other petitions were related to the violence that broke out in Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) following anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in December 2019.

The petitioners before the court are lawyers, JMI students, residents of south Delhi's Okhla, where the university is located, and the Imam of Jama Masjid mosque opposite Parliament.

The petitioners have claimed that there was a need for a SIT which was independent of the police and the central government to probe the alleged brutalities committed on the students by the police force.