New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Friday was told that Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb is still denying that the communal riots took place and mosques were burnt in the state last October.
“The chief minister is still in denial, and he is also denying all communal violence and says no mosque has been burnt”, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the Supreme Court of India.
Bhushan’s statement came after the apex court asked the petitioner, who is seeking SIT probe into the October 2021 Tripura riots, to move to the High Court.
During the hearing on the petition Friday Justice Chandrachud said since the matter is already being heard by the High Court, which took suo motu, then the petitioner can raise his contentions over there.
"If the Chief Justice of state High Court is already hearing after taking suo motu cognisance, we should not intervene at this juncture, as it will amount to expression of no-confidence in high court", he said.
Arguing that there was serious communal violence, where mosques were burnt , Bhushan said:
"We prayed for an independent probe in violence."
Bhushan also said the High Court is only looking into prayers for compensation and his client is seeking an impartial SIT probe. He also mentioned his client's apprehensions regarding coercive action by the authorities. The bench replied that the court will protect his client.
The bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant however told advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing advocate Ehtesham Hashmi, that his client can raise the issues there and the High Court will not only hear the matters before it, but also the issues raised by the petitioner.
The SC bench also asked the high court to dispose of the plea expeditiously.
On November 29 last year, the top court issued notice on a plea seeking independent SIT probe into the communal violence in Tripura. The plea had arrayed Centre, DGP Tripura, and the Tripura government as respondents.
The plea claimed that between October 13 and October 27, last year, hate crimes were perpetrated in Tripura by organised mobs.
"Included damage to mosques, burning of business establishments owned by Muslims, organising rallies shouting Islamophobic and genocidal hate slogans and delivering hate speeches targeting Muslims in various parts of Tripura", said the plea.
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