Court questions cops' 'failure' in Jahangirpuri riots, seeks probe

A Delhi court has asked the Delhi police commissioner to investigate the complicity of police officers who failed to stop the illegal procession at Delhi's Jahangirpuri leading to unfortunate riots on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti in April 16.

This was "utter failure" on the part of police which should be not brushed aside, it added.

Additional Sessions Judge Gagandeep Singh, while dismissing the bail plea of the eight accused, said that the sequence of events, which took place on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, in the area and the role of the local administration in preventing any untoward incident and maintaining law and order situation or their complicity needs to be seen.

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The court said the State fairly admitted the last procession during which the unfortunate riots took place was "illegal having no prior permission from police".

"It prima facie reflects the utter failure on the part of local police in stopping the said procession having no permission. The issue seems to have been simply brushed aside by the senior officers," the court said.

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. Their complicity, if any, also needs to be investigated," the judge said, directing the copy of the order to be placed before the Commissioner of Police.

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The court also pointed out the contents of the FIR itself, showing that the local staff of police station Jahangirpuri, led by Inspector Rajiv Ranjan as well as other officials were accompanying the said illegal procession on its route instead of stopping it.

"It appears that local police instead of performing their duty in stopping the said illegal procession at 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 said.

The procession witnessed clashes between the communities, followed by the demolition drive of "illegal structures" by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which could be stopped by an order of status quo by the Supreme Court.

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With regard to the bail plea of the accused, the court said they have been identified on the basis of CCTV footage and statements by witnesses. The investigation was still underway and some of the offenders were yet to be apprehended.

It also noted the allegations against the accused were serious and apprehension has been expressed on threatening the public witnesses if the accused are enlarged on bail.