The Delhi court has strongly criticized the prosecution for mishandling the 2020 riots case, calling the investigation and charge sheets a “complete mess.” The matter has been referred to the Delhi Police Commissioner for immediate corrective action.
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NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has expressed serious concern over the way the prosecution has handled a case related to the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots, describing the investigation and charge sheets as a “complete mess.” The court has now referred the matter to the Delhi Police Commissioner for corrective action.
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The Additional Sessions Judge, Parveen Singh, was hearing arguments on framing charges in the case registered at Dayalpur police station. The court noted that previous proceedings had already highlighted significant confusion in the prosecution’s charge sheet.
The core problem was that two separate mobs involved in the riots were listed together as accused for multiple offences, with no clear attribution of responsibility for specific acts of rioting, arson, or property damage. This lack of clarity has made it difficult to understand who did what, undermining the very purpose of a charge sheet.
The case also involved complaints from three individuals, Azad, Zaid, and Sarla Devi, which a previous judge had directed the police to investigate. Instead of following these directions, the prosecution tried to withdraw some complaints and sought to discharge two accused through a supplementary charge sheet.
Judge Singh noted that no FIRs had been registered for the withdrawn complaints, and investigations into the three individuals’ cases had not been conducted. The judge criticized the prosecution for attempting to sidestep the earlier court order, further complicating a case that was already tangled in unclear facts.
In response, the court directed that the Delhi Police Commissioner take remedial steps to address the lapses. A report on the action taken must be submitted before the next hearing on November 14.
