Delhi HC dismisses pleas seeking SIT probe into 2020 Delhi riots, 2019 Jamia violence
The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a batch of petitions seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the 2020 riots in the national capital and the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019 following anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.
A bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain said, “for the reasons mentioned in the judgment, all the petitions are dismissed”.
While pronouncing the verdict, the bench said, “The batch is decided into two parts, one is northeast Delhi riots and another is for Jamia Millia riots”.
The detailed judgment is awaited.
The court had reserved its verdict in the batch of petitions on July 24.
In the matter concerning the northeast Delhi riots, the court was dealing with pleas seeking directions for the constitution of an SIT, commission of inquiry or fact-finding committee. The petitions also sought medical treatment, compensation and registration of FIRs against police officers alleged to have erred in their duties.
Some of the petitions also sought action against political leaders over alleged hate speeches, along with the constitution of an SIT to investigate the violence and registration of FIRs against police officers.
A communal clash erupted in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, amid protests against the citizenship law. The violence left at least 53 people dead and around 700 injured.
The other set of petitions concerned the violence that erupted at Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019 following protests against the CAA.
The petitioners argued that an SIT independent of the police and the central government was required to investigate the alleged brutalities committed by police personnel against students. (with inputs from PTI)
