New Delhi, 05 October (H.S.): The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi in 2020. A bench headed by Justice Vivek Chaudhary passed the order dismissing the petition.

Two petitions had been filed before the High Court in the matter. One was filed by Sheikh Mujtaba and the other by Lawyers Voice. Sheikh Mujtaba had sought the registration of FIRs and an investigation against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma. He alleged that the Delhi Police had also contributed to inciting the riots, but not a single FIR had been registered against police personnel.

Lawyers Voice, meanwhile, had sought the registration of FIRs against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Manish Sisodia and Asaduddin Owaisi.

The Delhi Police opposed the demand for the constitution of an SIT, stating that its investigation was impartial, honest and comprehensive from all perspectives.

The Delhi Police submitted that the allegations levelled by the petitioners were entirely baseless and motivated. It said that investigations into all the FIRs were being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Therefore, there was no justification for transferring the cases to an SIT, the police contended.

It may be recalled that on March 12, 2020, the High Court had issued notices to the Delhi government, the Delhi Police and the leaders against whom the petitioners had sought registration of FIRs in connection with alleged hate speeches. The petitions had sought the prompt registration of FIRs against these leaders.

The riots in northeast Delhi in February 2020 claimed 53 lives and left around 200 people injured.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar