A Delhi court docket has delivered a pointy rebuke to the Delhi Police over its dealing with of the investigation into the 2020 Delhi riots, expressing deep concern over what it described as main confusion and procedural lapses within the cost sheets.
The case,pertaining to the incidents of rioting and arson in Northeast Delhi through the communal violence of February 2020, got here up earlier than the Extra Classes Choose (ASJ) Parveen Singh on the Karkardooma Courtroom. The decide noticed that the police didn’t conduct a coherent investigation and had produced cost sheets that blurred the excellence between two rival mobs allegedly concerned within the violence.
The court docket identified that regardless of giving the clear directions in January 2025 to establish and separate the roles of the 2 mobs, the supplementary cost sheet submitted by the prosecution grouped each side collectively. The court docket famous that this method made it unimaginable for court docket to find out which group was liable for the particular act of violence, looting, or property destruction.
As per the court docket, such ambiguity,undermines the credibility of the investigation and weakens the inspiration of the prosecution’s case. The decide acknowledged that the dearth of readability in figuring out particular person roles mirrored a careless and unmethodical method to an incident that had severe communal implications.
Along with the structural flaws within the cost sheet, the Delhi court docket additionally highlighted a number of cases of non-compliance with its earlier orders. It famous that sure complaints filed by victims recognized as Azad, Zaid, and Sarla Devi had neither been correctly investigated nor transformed into separate FIRs, regardless of clear instructions from the court docket to take action.
The decide questioned the prosecution’s subsequent determination to withdraw seven complaints and search the discharge of two accused individuals, suggesting that these actions may need been aimed toward avoiding scrutiny of earlier judicial directions.
The Courtroom described the general dealing with of the case as a “full mess” and expressed disappointment that the prosecution had not taken its instructions severely. The decide mentioned that such an method not solely delays justice but in addition erodes public confidence within the investigative course of.
The failure to separate the acts of the 2 mobs, he added, raised questions on whether or not the police had a correct understanding of the occasions or had been merely making an attempt to shut the case with out a honest investigation.
Given the seriousness of the lapses, the court docket has ordered {that a} copy of its observations be despatched on to the Delhi Police Commissioner. It has additionally directed {that a} detailed compliance report, signed both by the Commissioner or the Particular Commissioner, be submitted by the following listening to scheduled for November 14.
The Courtroom decide emphasised that the accountability should be mounted at acceptable ranges to make sure that such confusion and negligence aren’t repeated sooner or later investigations.
The case stays a big check of how successfully the Delhi Police can handle judicial criticism and restore religion in its investigative processes. The court docket’s robust remarks function a reminder that in delicate communal circumstances, procedural precision and neutral investigation are important to uphold justice and preserve public belief.
