NHRC report on Jamia Millia violence has not given clean chit to anyone: HC

Welcome Guest! You are here: Home » India

NHRC report on Jamia Millia violence has not given clean chit to anyone: HC

The ASG argued that the entire police action was warranted, however, there were some individual cases of minor infractions

Friday August 21, 2020 8:25 PM, ummid.com with inputs from IANS

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court while hearing a batch of petitions in connection with the violence that broke out in and around the Jamia Millia Islamia in December last year, on Friday observed that the report of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) "does not give a clean chit to anyone".

A division bench of the high court presided by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan said, "The NHRC report does not give a clean chit to anyone. It has stated that the entire police action was not handled very professionally."

The comment from the judges came while Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aman Lekhi appearing for the Delhi Police was citing the said report in order to justify the police action in and around the varsity in December last year.

The ASG argued that the entire police action was warranted, however, there were some individual cases of minor infractions. Following which, the court passed these observations.

Responding to the same, the ASG said that the report however does not state that the police action as a whole was unnecessary.

"Calling the entry of police into the campus illegal and malafide just because the students inside the campus were from minority community is completely untenable and unfounded," Lekhi said.

He further apprised the bench that the NHRC report states that the protests were not peaceful. "The protest was a mask for something far grave and serious. There has to be an intelligence inquiry," the ASG said.

The NHRC report also criticised the use of social media for circulating false rumours, the ASG argued while adding that the petitions too are based on such "rumour mongering"

Following these arguments, the bench has now slated the matter for further hearing on August 28 post lunch.

The batch of petitions which include the one filed by one Nabila Hasan sought action against the allegedly ruthless, and excessive use of force and aggression unleashed by the police and paramilitary forces on students within the university.

On the previous date of hearing, the Delhi High Court was told by petitioners in a matter relating to the Jamia Millia violence, that the Police should be the last agency to investigate this matter.

"Police should be the last person to conduct this inquiry. Even CBI should not conduct the same as it is governed by the Centre and the protest was against Centre's CAA," said senior advocate Colin Gonsalves while appearing before a division bench of the High Court presided over by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan on Tuesday.

The batch of pleas have also sought registration of FIRs against the erring police officers.

Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) had turned violent on December 15 near Delhi's Jamia Nagar. Several buses were set afire during the violence in which police and protesters sustained injuries.

For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.

Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.