Jahangirpuri violence: Police complicity needs to be probed, says Delhi court
A Rohini court has strongly criticised the Delhi Police in the Jahangirpuri violence case, noting that the police personnel “accompanied the illegal procession” and their complicity, “if any”, needs to be investigated. The court said that there was “utter failure” on part of the Delhi Police in stopping a Hanuman Jayanti procession held without permission at Jahangirpuri in northwest Delhi last month.
The issue “seems to have been simply brushed aside” by senior police officers, NDTV reported the court as saying.
Communal clashes broke out in the area during the third procession, which was held without permission, on April 16.
Also read: Hindus, Muslims celebrate Eid together in Delhi’s violence-hit Jahangirpuri
‘Fix responsibility’
Additional Sessions Judge Gagandeep Singh ordered: “The liability on the part of the concerned officials needs to be fixed so that in future no such incident takes place and the police is not complacent in preventing the illegal activities.” A copy of the order has been directed to be sent to the commissioner of police “for information and remedial compliance”.
“It is fairly admitted on behalf of the state that the last procession, which was passing through during which the unfortunate riots took place, was illegal, having no prior permission from (the) police,” said the judge, NDTV report added.
The court further said that the FIR itself shows that the local staff of the Jahangirpuri police station, led by inspector Rajiv Ranjan as well as other officials, were “accompanying the said illegal procession” on its route instead of stopping it.
Bail plea rejected
The court made the observations in an order dismissing the bail applications of seven accused – Imteyaz, Noor Alam, Sheikh Hamid, Ahmad Ali, Sheikh Hamid, S K Sahahada, Sheikh Zahir and Ahir. The accused argued that they had been falsely implicated in the case and were not even present at the spot on the date of the incident.
While dismissing the bail pleas of the accused, the judge said that the material investigation in the present case is still underway and several offenders are yet to be apprehended.