Delhi HC ultimatum to Centre, Legal News, ET LegalWorld – Legal Firms

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Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted the “last opportunity” to the Centre to file its reply to a plea seeking transfer from Delhi Police to an independent agency the FIRs lodged against students in the incidents of violence in Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in December 2019 following protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh asked the Centre to file within a week its reply to the amendment application of a petitioner, who also sought setting up of a special investigation team (SIT) to inquire into the alleged police atrocities during the protests. It listed the batch of petitions, which have alleged use of “ruthless and excessive” force by police and paramilitary forces on students, for further hearing on December 13.

The plea argues that the FIRs registered by Delhi Police against students as well as the complaints made by the students should be investigated by an independent agency. It also suggested the names of certain civil servants who could be appointed to head the independent SIT. During the hearing, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for petitioner Nabila Hasan, said at the time of peaceful protests by students, police had attacked them mercilessly, fractured their bones, and one student was even blinded. Police went to the girls’ hostel and beat up the boarders, besides storming the library, he alleged.

The bench noted that since the petitions were filed at the time when the alleged incidents took place, some of the reliefs sought might have become infructuous due to passage of time. It said the only prayers that had survived were related to monetary compensation to the injured students and a probe by a court-monitored committee headed by a retired judge.



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