Police played communal role in Delhi violence, petitioners tell HC

New Delhi: An affidavit filed in the Delhi High Court in connection with a batch of petitions relating to the Delhi violence claims that “the police played a communal role in encouraging, abetting, supporting, protecting and aiding the assailants.”

“The victims speak in one voice: that the police played a communal role in encouraging, abetting, supporting, protecting and aiding the assailants,” stated an affidavit filed on behalf of various petitioners, including Shaikh Mujtaba Farooq, through senior advocate Colin Gonsalves.

The affidavit claimed, “The communal attack began with the hate speeches on February 23 by leaders of the BJP as described in the petition. The main attacks took place between February 23 and 26. During this period more than 54 persons were killed, over 600 injured, more than 1,000 houses and shops were destroyed, 19 mosques, 2 madrasas and 3 shrines were destroyed, and a large number of persons are missing. More than 1,000 families were affected.”

Stating about the hundreds of FIRs registered by the police in connection with the riots, the affidavit said that the FIRs have not been put up on any website as is the practice, and required by law. “This has led to a situation of deliberate opaqueness,” they claimed.

“Hence the petitioners request at the outset that all the FIRs registered by the Delhi Police be put up on the website of the Delhi Police,” the affidavit read.

The petitioners further claimed in the document that while most of the FIRs have the police as the informant, the FIRs do not have the names of the accused and “very few FIRs” have been registered in the names of the victims.

A division bench of the High Court presided over by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Harishankar had on March 12 adjourned the hearing on a batch of petitions to March 20 as the Centre had sought more time to file the affidavit.

The bench also sought response from Delhi Police, Delhi government and other parties, including political leaders, on a fresh plea seeking action against political leaders for allegedly making hate speeches & engaging in criminal activities.

The plea also seeks attachment of their properties for damage to public properties during violence.

The court had sought the response of all political leaders whose names are mentioned in the petition, including those of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Salman Khursheed, BJP Leader Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra and others including Akbaruddin Owaishi and Waris Pathan.

The PIL sought setting up of special investigation team to assess property damaged in last month’s riots in northeast Delhi.

IANS