Delhi riots: SC agrees to hear plea challenging HC order on filing FIR against BJP leaders

On Monday, a Supreme Court bench led by CJI SA Bobde agreed to hear activist Harsh Mander’s plea challenging February 27 order of Delhi High Court journing petition seeking registration of FIRs against BJP leers making provocative speeches allegedly leing to Delhi riots. While mentioning matter before bench, Mander’s counsel Colin Gonsalves explained sequence of events. First, CJI questioned how apex court could interfere when Delhi HC was alrey seized of matter. He ded that matter must have been deferred for some reason.

reafter, Gonsalves contended that people belonging to a certain party were roaming free despite making incendiary speeches and alleged that people were dying every day. Stating that such situations were beyond control of SC, CJI observed that certain media reports gave impression that court was responsible for Delhi violence. Maintaining that preventive relief could t be issued,  SC listed matter for hearing on Wednesday.  

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developments in Delhi HC

Former civil servant and activist Harsh Mander filed a petition urging registration of FIRs against leers such as Anurag Thakur who delivered provocative speeches, which allegedly led to violence. On February 26, a Delhi High Court bench comprising Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Talwant Singh asked Special CP Praveen Ranjan to communicate court’s anguish to Police Commissioner regarding n-registration of FIRs. court gave a day to Commissioner to take a conscious decision on wher an FIR should be filed.  

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When matter was heard by Chief Justice’s court on February 27, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta revealed that police h decided to delay registering FIRs as situation was t conducive. Citing how inflammatory speeches gave a sense of impunity to attackers, Colin Gonsalves- counsel for Mander demanded immediate registration of FIRs as per Lalita Kumari guidelines. However, Centre was impleed in petition and granted 4 weeks to file a counter-affidavit after which case was journed till April 13.

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