New Delhi, 24 July (H.S.):

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition seeking an NIA probe into the July 20 Parliament march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). A bench headed by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya observed that it is for the Central government to decide which agency should conduct an investigation into the matter.

The petition was filed by Satish Kumar Agrawal, former vice-president of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, who alleged that the Jantar Mantar protest was politically motivated and backed by foreign forces attempting to destabilise the country. He claimed that the demonstration was not a genuine student movement but part of a larger conspiracy.

The petitioner’s counsel argued before the court that the matter was linked to a so-called student movement and that the protest had brought the entire national capital to a standstill. The lawyer claimed that roads were blocked, causing inconvenience to Delhi residents, and alleged that the rights of citizens were being violated.

In his plea, Agrawal had sought an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), demanding that the FIR registered by the Delhi Police be transferred to the central agency. The petition sought an inquiry to identify those allegedly responsible for the violence and vandalism during the protest.

However, the Delhi High Court rejected the request for an NIA investigation, stating that the decision regarding the investigating agency rests with the Centre.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar