Delhi High Court rejects calls for special investigations into 2020 riots and Jamia violence

The Delhi High Court has dismissed petitions seeking special investigation teams and other inquiries into the 2020 northeast Delhi riots and violence at Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019. A bench comprising Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain announced on Monday that all the petitions were dismissed for the reasons set out in its judgment. The court had reserved its decision on July 24.

The cases were divided into two groups: petitions concerning the northeast Delhi riots and those concerning the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia after protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. In the northeast Delhi matter, petitioners had sought the creation of an SIT, a commission of inquiry or a fact-finding committee. They also requested medical treatment and compensation, the registration of first information reports against police officers and action against political leaders over alleged hate speech.

The communal clashes in northeast Delhi began on February 24, 2020, amid protests against citizenship legislation. The supplied material said at least 53 people died and about 700 were injured. The Jamia-related petitions concerned violence that broke out at the university following anti-CAA protests in December 2019.

Petitioners argued that an independent body was needed to investigate alleged police brutality against students rather than leaving the matter to the police or central government. The court’s dismissal means the requests for the proposed special investigations and related directions have not been granted. The supplied report did not provide the full reasoning in the judgment or indicate whether the petitioners planned any further legal action.