‘Investigate Delhi riots properly’, Delhi High Court instructs police officials

New Delhi 8th August 2020 Saturday

The Delhi High Court had directed the Delhi Police officials to investigate the riots in Northeast Delhi in February this year in an impartial and lawful manner.

On July 8, Praveen Ranjan, Additional Commissioner of Police, Delhi, instructed the officers probing the riots in Delhi to be careful when arresting Hindu youths involved in riots as the Hindu majority and Hindu organizations would be offended if more arrests were made.

Following an English newspaper report on Praveen Ranjan's order, two Muslim families in Delhi had told the Delhi High Court that the Additional Commissioner of Police's order did not appear to be impartial in investigating the riots. The court directed Additional Commissioner of Police Praveer Ranjan to be present in the court. When he came to the court, the court knocked him down and he asked the court for a copy of the letters written to the investigating officers as a notice.

In this regard, the court on Friday instructed the investigating officers in clear terms that there was no need to comply with the order of the Additional Commissioner of Police. You should investigate impartially and prepare and report the details of everyone involved in the storms.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait said that the print media Javoj report also appeared in the electronic media that the Additional Commissioner of Police had exercised caution while investigating or interrogating Hindu youths. In any case, it is imperative that law enforcement agencies maintain neutrality. One should not come between partisanship or communalism when investigating violent incidents.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait sternly reprimanded Praveer Ranjan and urged that this should not happen again in future.