New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today sought a response from the Centre, police and AAP government on a plea seeking directions to the police to preserve CCTV footage of the recent riots in northeast Delhi.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the authorities and listed the matter for further hearing on 27 March.
The plea filed by the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind said Delhi Police should be directed to preserve CCTV footage of the riot affected areas from February 23 to March 1 and should not remove debris without collecting evidence from the site. It also sought FIRs against those involved in the violence and an SIT comprising retired judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court.
Highlighting the need to have an impartial investigation into the case, the Petitioner has asked the court to constitute a Special Investigation Team, headed by a retired Supreme Court or Delhi High Court judge. It is demanded that members of the Delhi Police shall be excluded from this SIT.
In addition to the SIT, the petition also seeks a separate and ”especially empowered body” to enquire into all aspects of planning, preparation and causing of the riots.
The enquiry should look into aspects of aid and abetment by the state machinery, all socio-political organisations operating in riots affected areas, and all the politicians who were publicly active before and during the riots’, the petition says.
Alleging the possible involvement of certain police officers in the violence, the Petitioner has also asked the court to direct criminal and disciplinary action against those police officers who are found liable for deliberate inactivity or participation in the riots.
As a rehabilitation measure, the Petitioner has asked for a direction to be issued to the Delhi Government to pay adequate compensation to all the riot victims as per a scheme which is similar to the scheme providing compensation to the victims of the 1984 riots.