The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the city police and administration to ensure a conducive atmosphere for peaceful and dignified observance of Eid in Uttam Nagar where a 26-year-old man was killed in a clash on Holi.
A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the police bandobast in the area should be such that it instils a sense of safety and security in all. It directed the authorities to ensure that no one plays any mischief that has the potential to create any “untoward situation”.
It clarified that the police arrangements in the area shall continue till the upcoming festival of Ram Navami.
The order was passed on a PIL filed by a civil rights group, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, which approached the Delhi High Court on Wednesday to prevent “imminent communal violence” on Eid in Uttam Nagar. The petition came up for hearing after a petitioner’s counsel mentioned the matter before the Chief Justice’s bench for an urgent listing during the day.
After hearing the parties, the court said Eid is a festival to rejoice and it is the duty of all authorities to ensure that on such a “pious occasion”, public life is not disrupted by any untoward incident of vandalism or hooliganism by any individual or any section of society.
It observed that the apprehensions in the petition arose from the incident of the death of a youth in the area on March 4, and therefore, the police must be “extra cautious” and ensure that “all sections of society maintain restraint considering the past incident”.