Delhi HC Seeks Response of Centre, Police, AAP Govt on Plea to Preserve CCTV Footage of Riots

The Delhi High Court on March 16 sought responses from the Centre, the Delhi Police and the Aam Aadmi Party government on a plea seeking directions to Delhi Police to preserve the CCTV footage of the recent riots in Northeast Delhi.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notices to the authorities and listed the matter for further hearing on March 27.

The plea filed by the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind said Delhi Police should be directed to preserve CCTV footage of the riot affected areas from February 23 to March 1 and should not remove debris without collecting evidence from the site. It also sought FIRs against those involved in the violence and setting up of Special Investigation Team comprising retired judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court.

"There are serious allegations of damaging the CCTV cameras installed in the riots-affected areas by the police which is evident from the videos surfaced and circulating in the social media," the plea said, adding that the debris have been deliberately removed to destroy the evidence from the incident site.

It claimed that FIRs have not been lodged against persons responsible for the riots and alleged that the police is not accepting the complaint in which the accused are named instead insisting on registering complaint against unknown persons.

It also alleged that the father of one of the riot victims has made a specific allegation against BJP leader Kapil Mishra as being responsible for the death of his son as well as the riots. The plea further sought taking legal and disciplinary action against police officials for their alleged inaction or active participation in the riots and destruction of evidence.

It has sought that the Delhi government be directed to provide adequate compensation to the victims that is commensurate with the scheme for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.