New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear an application filed by former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah and others seeking lodging of FIRs with regard to the recent violence in Delhi over the amended citizenship law. Seven people, including a Delhi police head constable, were killed and hundreds injured in the violence that continues to unfold in North East Delhi.
The application was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph. The bench agreed to hear the matter on Wednesday.
A similar plea seeking registration of an FIR and arrest of persons involved in the ongoing violence in North East Delhi at the Delhi high court was listed to be heard on Wednesday as well.
Also read: Delhi Ground Report: Stone-Pelting, Arson Continues in Ghonda, Police Stand By
In the application, Habibullah, Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad and social activist Bahadur Abbas Naqvi have also sought direction to authorities to ensure safety of women sitting in on protests against the CAA at Shaheen Bagh and other places in the national capital.
The apex court is also slated to hear on Wednesday two separate petitions seeking removal of protesters from Shaheen Bagh.
In their fresh application, Habibullah, Azad and Naqvi have alleged:
“Kapil Mishra, who is known for making speeches to instigate crowds with violence and vandalism, carried out a pro-CAA rally next to the Maujpur-Babarpur metro station which is 2 km away from peaceful protests that were going on at Jaffrabad”.
On Sunday, former Delhi MLA and BJP leader Kapil Mishra took out a rally against the anti-CAA protest in Jaffrabad in North East Delhi. He also issued a call through Twitter urging people to gather and “prevent another Shaheen Bagh” protest from taking place near the Jaffrabad Metro Station.
Soon after, violence broke out between supporters and critics of the new law. The outbreak soon magnified and made way for arson and communally targeted violence in the region that is continuing well into February 25 amidst prohibitory orders in the region.
Also read: Delhi Violence: An Eyewitness Account From Jaffrabad
After the first outcrop of clashes on the night of February 23, Mishra, who unsuccessfully contested the recent Delhi assembly election from Model Town and in the past represented Karawal Nagar as an Aam Aadmi Party MLA, issued a threat. He tweeted an ultimatum to the Delhi police to get the roads cleared of anti-CAA protesters:
“We have given a three-day ultimatum to the Delhi Police to get the road cleared. Get the Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh (where another sit-in protest is underway) road cleared.”
Referring to media reports, the application alleged that Mishra left the place after having incited the crowd after which violence erupted in Jaffrabad and the peaceful protestors were forced to run for safety.
दिल्ली पुलिस को तीन दिन का अल्टीमेटम – जाफराबाद और चांद बाग की सड़कें खाली करवाइए इसके बाद हमें मत समझाइयेगा , हम आपकी भी नहीं सुनेंगे, सिर्फ तीन दिन@DelhiPolice pic.twitter.com/9ozTazMZew
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) February 23, 2020
It alleged that the persons who were hurt on the attack on February 23, had filed complaints with the police but no action was taken against the perpetrators of violence.
“Open threats are now been given to the protesters at Shaheen Bagh that they will meet the same fate as meted out to the peaceful women protestors at Jaffrabad, Chand Bagh,” the application further alleged.
It sought a direction to the police to register FIR on the complaints that are being made in respect of the attacks that started in the evening of February 23 and which escalated throughout the day of February 24.