Decide in accordance with law Karat's plea for FIR against Thakur, Verma: HC to magisterial court

Months after CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat urged the Delhi High Court to dispose of her matter, on a complaint seeking registration of FIR against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for hate speech in relation to anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh, the court on Wednesday asked a magisterial court to decide her application in accordance with law, rules, regulations and government policy applicable to the case.

New Delhi:The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked a magisterial court to decide in accordance with law the plea by CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat seeking lodging of FIRs against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for their alleged hate speeches in relation to anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh.

The direction by a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan came after Karat's counsel urged the high court to dispose of her matter by asking the magisterial court to decide on her complaint.

Karat's lawyer told the bench that the magisterial court had on February 26 reserved judgement on her application after hearing arguments of all sides, but did not pronounce the order as similar issues were pending in the high court.

On the request of the CPI(M) leader, the high court asked the magisterial court to decide her application "in accordance with law, rules, regulations and government policy applicable to the case and as expeditiously as possible and practicable".

With the direction, the high court disposed of Karat's plea which had sought directions to the magisterial court to pass an order on her complaint. The petition had also sought directions to police to lodge FIRs against Thakur and Verma.

Apart from Karat's plea for lodging FIRs against the two BJP leaders, the bench was also hearing several other petitions seeking action against these two BJP leaders as well as their party colleagues Kapil Mishra and Abhay Verma for alleged hate speeches by them.

It was also hearing another plea which has alleged that Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as well as AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Amanatullah Khan, and AIMIM MLA Waris Pathan also gave hate speeches.

Besides, the pleas have also sought other reliefs, which include setting up of an SIT, FIRs against police officers who were allegedly involved in the violence and disclosure of persons arrested and detained.

While disposing of Karat's plea for lodging FIR against Thakur and Verma and another petition, moved during the riots, seeking safe passage of injured people, the bench said all the remaining petitions would be heard on August 24.

The Delhi Police, in a consolidated affidavit filed in all the matters, had earlier said that investigations into the northeast Delhi riots have not revealed any evidence till now that political leaders instigated or participated in the violence that claimed at least 53 lives,

It had also said its prima facie investigations revealed that this was not a case of any sporadic or spontaneous violence "but appears to be a part of a well thought of conspiracy to destabilise the harmony in society".

PTI