Delhi High Court's no to monitored probe in temple attack

Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on Friday turned down a plea seeking a court-monitored probe in the vandalization of a Hindu temple in old Delhi's Hauz Qazi area.

A division bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and C. Harishankar disposed of the plea filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava.

The court observed that the plea was premature after noting that the law and order machinery had been set in motion.

"There is no reason to constitute an SIT," the bench observed, adding that some breathing time ought to be given to the police.

The plea wanted the court's direction to formulate a Special Investigation Team (SIT) duly monitored by the court to investigate if there was a conspiracy behind the weekend attack on an old Durga temple at Lal Kuan.

The advocate also sought departmental action against police officials who failed to avert the attack.

"The brazen attack on a Hindu temple by a mob of about 200 persons categorically shows that the attackers were not having any fear of the police and the law enforcement agencies and thus suitable departmental action is required to be initiated against the police officials," he said.

Trouble erupted late on June 30 in Hauz Qazi over the parking of vehicles and quickly assumed communal overtones, forcing authorities to deploy a large contingent of police and paramilitary forces.

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