New Delhi: The Delhi High Court in an urgent midnight hearing Wednesday asked the police to ensure safe passage for some riot victims stuck in an injured condition in a Mustafabad hospital, and emergency treatment to them.
The hearing was convened at 12.30 am at the residence of Justice S. Muralidhar on a petition filed by advocate Suroor Mander saying “grievously injured victims of the riot in North East Delhi were not being able to be transported from Al Hind Hospital in Mustafabad” to a hospital equipped with better medical facilities.
After the plea was mentioned, Justice G.S. Sistani, the most senior judge of the Delhi HC after the Chief Justice, ordered the hearing at Justice Muralidhar’s residence.
The petition was heard by Justice Muralidhar and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani and they said the Delhi Police must deploy “all resources at its command” and ensure that the victims receive “immediate emergency treatment”.
Also read: Among Delhi riot victims, a 22-year-old auto driver, Bihar labourer, and father of six
The petition and the hearing
With Northeast Delhi was witnessing violent protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the lawyer’s petition sought directions for safe passage of the injured victims at Al Hind Hospital to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in Dilshad Garden.
The court was told that the rioters were not allowing any ambulance to pass, and that doctors at Al Hind wanted the police to help in the safe shifting of the patients.
During the hearing, the advocate managed to get a doctor from Al Hind Hospital on the speaker phone. Dr Anwar told the judge there were “two dead and 22 injured” at the Al Hind hospital, and explained that he had been “trying to seek police help since 4 pm on 25 February without success”.
In his brief order, Justice Muralidhar said, “The Court at this stage is primarily concerned with ensuring the safety of the lives of the injured and provide immediate medical attention… The Court accordingly directs Delhi Police to ensure such safe passage by deploying all the resources at its command and on the strength of this order and to ensure that apart from the safe passage, the injured victims receive immediate emergency treatment.”
If taking them to GTB Hospital was not possible, the injured must be treated at LNJP Hospital or Maulana Azad or “any other government hospital”, the court ordered.
The court also said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), East, Deepak Gupta must immediately reach Al Hind Hospital and begin the evacuation process.
The petitioner had demanded that medical or police control rooms be set up at these hospitals so that the relatives of the injured and the deceased could gather information about them. The police has submitted that the court would be apprised of all the future steps.
The case will be heard again in the Delhi High Court Wednesday at 2.15 pm.
The situation in Northeast Delhi’s Jaffrabad-Maujpur region remained tense as the death toll rose to 11 Tuesday with reports of fresh incidents of stone pelting and arson coming in from Maujpur, Babarpur and Shivpuri areas.
The clashes between groups protesting against and supporting the CAA have resulted in over 50 people sustaining grievous injuries.
Shops and establishments have remained shut in the affected areas, with the Delhi Police claiming to be working on maintaining law and order.
Also read: Muslim cemetery desecrated and shops set on fire, but police missing in action in Delhi