Delhi Riots Case: HC asks Brinda Karat to provide FIRs related to probe

Communist Party of India M leader Brinda Karat has been asked by the Delhi High Court to present copies of FIRs in which she seeks an independent investigation into the alleged excessive use of force by police personnel during the 2020 Delhi riots The court will then consider directing the Delhi Police to file a status report regarding the investigation in these matters The court also fixed August 7 for the next hearingA bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul said once such FIRs are on record a direction may be passed to the Delhi Police to file a status report in relation to the investigation in the mattersThe counsel for Karat told the court there were several FIRs with regards the alleged misuse of power by the police during the February 2020 violence that erupted in north east delhiOne such incident she said was revealed in a viral video which showed some policemen allegedly beating a Muslim youth while forcing them to sing the national anthemPlease file copy of FIRs in which you want us to direct independent probe Place it on record List on August 7 to enable the petitioner to place on record copies of subject FIRs said the bench also comprising Justice Anish DayalThe court was hearing a batch of petitions which were filed in the aftermath of the 2020 riotsCommunal clashes had broken out in north east Delhi on February 24 2020 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 700 injuredBesides Karats petition seeking investigation by an independent body petitions seeking FIRs against several political leaders for allegedly delivering hate speeches were also listedThe court directed that all cases be listed for hearing on August 7Also readLok Sabha adjourned for the day as opposition demands PMs statement on Manipur ethnic violenceOn July 13 2022 the high court had made various political leaders Anurag Thakur BJP Sonia Gandhi Rahul Gandhi Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Congress Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia etc parties to proceedings seeking FIR and investigation against them for allegedly delivering hate speeches leading to the violencePetitioner Shaikh Mujtaba Farooq has sought FIR for hate speech against BJP leaders Thakur Kapil Mishra Parvesh Verma and Abhay VermaPetitioner Lawyers Voice has sought the registration of hate speech FIRs against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as well as Deputy CM 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 and Umar Khalid among othersIn response the Gandhis have said that preventing a citizen from expressing a bonfide opinion against any bill or law passed by Parliament is violative of right to free speech and principles of democracyThe Gandhis in two separate affidavits have submitted there was no requirement to issue directions to constitute a Special Investigation Team SIT and the case of issuance of direction to register an FIR against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is not made out and no interference is called for by this court to pass any orderldquoMeanwhile a series of speeches made by the members of the ruling party falling squarely within the ambit of the sections under which the present writ is seeking action against the respondents have been conveniently left out by the petitioner revealing the coloured nature of the exerciserdquo they have saidPolice had earlier said it has already created three special investigation teams SITs under the crime branch and there was no evidence till now that its officers were involved in the violence or that political leaders instigated or participated in the violence PTI