Delhi riots: Court finds facts on victim impact in authority’s letter ‘very disturbing’
Judge forwards copy of letter to DCP for “immediate necessary action”; case pertains to Jony Kumar, sentenced for rioting and arson during the 2020 Delhi riots
A Delhi court on Saturday (April 6) termed as “very disturbing” the facts stated in a letter it received from the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary regarding the victim impact report (VIR) of a case linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
The judge forwarded a copy of the letter to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) to take “immediate necessary action” on it.
VIR rules
The Delhi High Court has laid down the procedures for preparing VIRs after conviction of the accused for assessing the quantum of loss suffered by the victims of crime, including their physical, emotional, and financial hardships.
The VIR has to be filed by the DLSA before the trial court in every criminal trial after conviction.
The case
On Saturday, Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing arguments against convict Jony Kumar, who was sentenced for rioting and arson during the 2020 Delhi riots.
The court had, in a previous hearing on the matter, termed the delay in preparing the VIR as “unfortunate”. When the matter came up for hearing around 10.30 am on Saturday, the court said there was still no response from the DCP and the DLSA.
Issuing a reminder letter to both the DCP and the DLSA to ensure that a VIR was filed in the case, the court posted the matter for further proceedings on April 20.
“Disturbing facts”
However, at 11 am, the court said it received a sealed envelope containing a letter by the DLSA secretary.
“I have gone through the letter of the secretary. The facts mentioned therein are very disturbing and hence a copy of this letter is being forwarded to the DCP to take immediate necessary action, in view of facts mentioned therein under intimation to this court,” said Judge Pramachala.
Need for sensitisation
On April 1, the court had noted that the DLSA secretary had presented a request to submit the VIR on a future date, as the investigating officer (IO) had not brought one of the victims before it for interaction.
The judge had termed the delay as “unfortunate”.
“The Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) district is requested to sensitise all the station house officers (SHOs) and IOs to ensure the presentation of victims before DLSA at the earliest point of time so that VIR is prepared by DLSA at the earliest possible time,” the court had said.
(With agency inputs)
