New Delhi: A Delhi court has observed prima facie that Delhi Police had “utterly failed” in stopping the Hanuman Jayanti procession at Jahangirpuri on April 16 for which no permission had been granted.
The court also denied bail to eight men accused in connection with the clashes in the area, LiveLaw has reported.
Additional Sessions Judge Gagandeep Singh of the Rohini Courts noted that police’s failure in containing the procession had been glossed over.
“The issue seems to have been simply brushed aside by the senior officers. The liability on the part of the concerned officials needs to be fixed so that in future no such incident takes place and the police is not complacent in preventing the illegal activities,” the judge said.
“Their [police’s] complicity, if any, also needs to be investigated,” the judge further added.
The Muslim-majority Jahangirpuri in northwest Delhi witnessed communal clashes when a Shobha Yatra procession was taken out by Hindu groups, to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti. According to the police, there was stone pelting and arson during the clashes and some vehicles were also torched.
The court was unsparing of police’s conduct, asking why local police officers were accompanying an illegal procession instead of stopping it.
Also read: Hindus, Muslims Carry Out a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ to Appeal for Peace in Violence-Hit Jahangirpuri
“It is fairly admitted by on behalf of the State that the last procession which was passing through during which the unfortunate riots took place was illegal having no prior permission from police. If that was the situation, then the contents of the FIR itself, show that the local staff of police station Jahangir Puri, led by Inspector Rajiv Ranjan as well as other officials from DCP reserve were accompanying the said illegal procession on its route instead of stopping it,” the court asked.
“It appears that local police instead of performing their duty in stopping the said illegal procession in the beginning itself and dispersing the crowd, was accompanying them to the entire route which later on led to unfortunate riots between the two communities,” the court added.
The court also directed the order to be sent to the Commissioner of Police “for information and remedial compliance.”
LiveLaw has reported that those denied bail by the court are: Imteyaz, Noor Alam, Shiekh Hamid, Ahmad Ali, Sheikh Hamid, S.K. Sahahada, Sheikh Zakir and Ahir. The eight have been identified on the basis of CCTV footage and eyewitnesses.
“The apprehension has been expressed by the prosecution that the public witnesses will not come forward as the rioters are known criminal of the area. Therefore, the apprehension of threatening/influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled at this stage, if the accused/applicant is enlarged on bail at this stage,” the court said.
Police are yet to file a charge sheet in the case.
A total of 30 people, including three juveniles, have been arrested in the case so far. Police has slapped the stringent National Security Act against five of the accused.
Four days after the incident, bulldozers arrived in the area at around 9 am on April 20 morning and began demolishing properties. The Supreme Court later that morning ordered status quo on the demolition drive. However, despite the top court’s order, the drive continued in Jahangirpuri, The Wire had reported.
Only hours later, at around 12:45 pm, police told reporters at the spot that the demolitions were being stopped.