New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a batch of petitions seeking independent and court-monitored investigations into the 2020 North-East Delhi riots and the alleged police atrocities during the 2019 violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University, as well as pleas seeking registration of FIRs against several political leaders over alleged hate speeches.
A Bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain dismissed the batch of petitions, including those seeking constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or a judicially monitored committee to investigate the riots and allegations concerning the conduct of the Delhi Police.
“For the reasons mentioned in the judgments, both the batch of petitions are dismissed,” the Delhi High Court said while pronouncing the verdict. A detailed judgment is awaited.
The petitions arising from the North-East Delhi riots included seeking registration of FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma over alleged hate speeches, besides action against police personnel accused of dereliction of duty.
The petitioners had sought an independent SIT comprising officers from outside Delhi or an investigation by a judicially headed body to examine the violence as well as allegations concerning the conduct of the Delhi Police.
Another plea filed by Lawyers’ Voice sought action over alleged hate speeches by several political and public figures, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Manish Sisodia, Amanatullah Khan, Asaduddin Owaisi, Warris Pathan and others.
The petitions also included a plea by CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat seeking an independent investigation into allegations of offences and atrocities allegedly committed by members of the Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other state functionaries during the riots.
A separate petition filed by activist Ajay Gautam sought an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the funding and alleged sponsorship of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), alleging an international conspiracy and foreign funding of the protests.
The Delhi High Court was also dealing with petitions seeking an independent judicial enquiry and court-monitored investigation into the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019, when students had protested against the CAA.
Several students and others had sought the constitution of an SIT to investigate allegations of police atrocities inside the varsity during the protests.
The High Court’s dismissal comes against the backdrop of continuing litigation over allegations concerning the role of political leaders and the adequacy of investigations into the February 2020 riots, which claimed more than 50 lives and left hundreds injured.
In November 2025, a Special Court in Delhi had set aside a trial court order directing “further investigation” into the alleged role of then BJP leader Kapil Mishra in connection with the riots.
Allowing revision petitions filed by the Delhi Police and Kapil Mishra, Special Judge Vinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts had set aside the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s directions as “illegal, without jurisdiction and unsustainable in law”.
(IANS)
