A Delhi court sharply criticised the prosecution on October 16, 2025, for creating a "complete mess" in the investigation of a case stemming from the February 2020 northeast Delhi communal riots, directing the Delhi Police Commissioner to initiate remedial measures. Additional Sessions: Judge Parveen Singh, presiding over arguments on framing charges in a case registered at Dayalpur police station, highlighted egregious lapses in evidence handling and compliance with prior judicial directives.
The riots, which erupted amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, resulted in over 50 deaths, hundreds injured, and widespread destruction, marking one of India's most violent episodes of communal unrest. This ongoing case underscores persistent challenges in prosecuting riot-related offences, where fragmented evidence has delayed justice for victims and accused alike.
The court's ire focused on the charge sheet's confusion over two distinct mobs clashing during the violence—one allegedly advancing with riotous intent, the other responding defensively—yet both implicated in the same offences without clear attribution of acts like arson, rioting, or property damage. Judge Singh referenced observations by his predecessor, who had mandated further probes into specific complaints, including those from Azad, Zaid, and Sarla Devi, to untangle the narrative. Instead of investigating these, the prosecution sought to withdraw seven complaints for "further inquiry" and requested the discharge of two accused, promising separate FIRs and future charge sheets.
This third supplementary report, the court noted, failed to connect the mobs or address the directed enquiries, effectively "circumventing" the January 21, 2025, order. No new FIRs were filed, and the complaints from the three individuals remained unexamined, exacerbating factual ambiguities in an already convoluted file.
In a stern rebuke, Judge Singh accused the prosecution of non-compliance, stating that the supplementary charge sheet had only compounded the case's "blurred facts". He emphasised that such mishandling undermines the judicial process in sensitive riot cases, where precision is vital to uphold constitutional rights and public trust. The order mandates the Delhi Police Commissioner—or a Special Commissioner—to ensure immediate remedial action, including compliance with the prior directive.
A detailed report, personally signed by the senior officer, must be submitted by the next hearing on November 14, 2025, with the court retaining oversight to monitor progress. This intervention echoes broader critiques of the 2020 riots investigations, where over 2,000 FIRs have led to fragmented trials, often stalled by evidentiary gaps and political sensitivities.
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The directive arrives amid renewed scrutiny of the riots' aftermath, with human rights groups advocating for independent probes into alleged biases in policing and prosecutions. For victims' families and the accused, delayed resolutions perpetuate trauma and uncertainty, while the court's push for accountability could set precedents for handling similar multi-accused communal violence cases. As Delhi Police grapples with resource strains, this case highlights the imperative for streamlined investigations to prevent miscarriages of justice in one of the capital's darkest chapters.
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