New Delhi: Noting that there was an “utter failure” on part of the Delhi Police in stopping a Hanuman Jayanti procession held without permission at Jahangirpuri in northwest Delhi last month, a Rohini court has said that the issue “seems to have been simply brushed aside” by the senior police officers.
The police personnel “accompanied the illegal procession” and their complicity, “if any”, needs to be investigated, the court said. Communal clashes broke out in the area during the third procession on April 16.
“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,” said Additional Sessions Judge Gagandeep Singh in an order.
Accountability should be fixed on the guilty officers, the court said, ordering the police chief to investigate the matter.
Senior officers appeared to have sidelined the issue, the court said.
There is a need to fix responsibility on the part of the concerned authorities so that such incidents do not happen in future and the police do not fail to stop illegal activities, the judge said.
A copy of the order has been directed to be sent to the commissioner of police “for information and remedial compliance”.
The Court denied bail to Imteyaz, Noor Alam, Shiekh Hamid, Ahmad Ali, Sheikh Hamid, S.K. Sahahada, Sheikh Zakir and Ahir. The Court noted that the accused persons were identified on the basis of CCTV footage recorded on the day of incident and were also identified by eyewitnesses.
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.
“The apprehension has been expressed by the prosecution that the public witnesses will not come forward as the rioters are known criminals of the area. Therefore, the apprehension of threatening/influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled at this stage, if the accused/applicant is enlarged on bail at this stage. The chargesheet is yet to be filed. The allegations are serious against the accused/applicant,” said the court.
