New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) A Delhi court has directed police to register an FIR on a complaint alleging cognisable offences, including those of rioting, arson and raising provocative slogans, during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
Judicial Magistrate Isra Zaidi was hearing the complaint of Rahees Ahmad alleging that on February 25, 2020, his family was targeted by a mob armed with deadly weapons which raised provocative communal slogans, uttered hate speech, looted his house, torched a part of his property and threatened him.
As the case had been clubbed with unrelated complaints, the court could direct police to register an FIR, Ahmad’s complaint said.
In an order dated July 23, the court noted that the station house officer (SHO) of Karawal Nagar had stated that Ahmad’s complaint had been clubbed with 29 other complaints in an FIR registered against the accused persons for several offences, including rioting and arson.
The court, however, said that the FIR did not reflect Ahmad’s specific allegations against several individuals.
“In the present case, the complainant’s allegations disclose commission of grave and cognisable offences. The complainant has made serious allegations of communal violence, looting, arson, hate speech naming specific individuals with detailed roles,” the court said.
It said that in the given circumstances, the complainant could not be compelled to seek redressal through a “general or unrelated FIR” that did not “capture his distinct allegations.” The court said that the incident in the complaint pertained to a different time with involvement of different persons and that there was no commonality with the FIR.
It said, “Such grave allegations cannot be permitted to be diluted or ignored merely by clubbing with a general FIR.” The court then directed the SHO to register a separate FIR based on the complainant and conduct a fair investigation in accordance with law.
“However, it is hereby clarified that no direction is being given to him to immediately arrest any accused person. Put up for filing of compliance report on July 31,” the court said. PTI MNR ZMN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.