New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday pleas which have alleged police atrocities on students holding protests against the amended Citizenship Act at the Jamia Millia Islamia University and the Aligarh Muslim University. However, Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said that the “rioting must stop immediately” if the court is to hear the pleas.
According to news agency PTI, the CJI headed bench on Monday took serious note of the “rioting and destruction of public property” during protests against the Citizenship Act and said this must stop immediately.
Also Read: After a Day of Police Violence, Jamia Students Detained for Protesting CAA Released
The plea was filed by a group of lawyers led by senior advocate Indira Jaising and Collin Gonsalves, who mentioned the matter before the court and urged it to take suo motu cognizance of the alleged violence unleashed against students.
Will hear plea for judicial enquiry on Tuesday into police action against #Jamia students if violence, arson, rioting stop immediately: CJI Bobde @the_hindu @abaruah64
— Krishnadas Rajagopal (@kdrajagopal) December 16, 2019
“The only thing we want is that the violence must stop,” the bench said, adding, “if protests and violence and damage of public property will be there, we will not hear the matter”.
CJI SA Bobde says ‘Just because they happen to be students, it doesn’t mean they can take law and order in their hands, this has to be decided when things cool down. This is not the frame of mind when we can decide anything. Let the rioting stop.’
— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2019
The bench, also comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant, asked the lawyers to file their petitions and said it would hear them tomorrow.
Also Read: Students Across the Country Protest Police Violence in Jamia Millia
The students of Jamia Millia have said that they did not participate in any violence, and accused “certain elements” of joining the protest and disrupting it. The students’ union and teachers have also condemned the alleged incidents of arson and vandalism. The Delhi police, in a
(With PTI inputs)