Jahangirpuri Violence: Police Accompanied Illegal Procession Instead Of Stopping It, Says Delhi Court

While denying bail to eight accused in the violence, Additional Sessions Judge Gagandeep Singh of Rohini Court observed that any complicity by police also requires to be investigated.

Police walk along a street in Jahangirpuri area in New Delhi on April 17, 2022

Source : AFP

New Delhi: Delhi Court on Monday, observed that police instead of stopping the illegal procession — that led to communal violence in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area on April 16— accompanied the procession, reported news agency ANI. 

While denying bail to eight accused in the violence, Additional Sessions Judge Gagandeep Singh of Rohini Court observed that any complicity by police also requires to be investigated, reported the news agency. 

A copy of this order is to be sent to the worthy commissioner of Police for information and remedial compliance, the court order stated.

"It is fairly admitted on behalf of the State that the last procession which was passing through during which the unfortunate riots took place was illegal having no prior permission from police,” the court observed, reported ANI. 

"If that was the situation, then the contents of the FIR itself, show that the local staff of police station of Jahangir Puri, led by Inspector Rajiv Ranjan as well as other officials for DCP reserve were accompanying the said illegal procession on its route instead of stopping it," the court noted.

"It appears that local police instead of performing their duty in stopping the said illegal procession at the beginning itself and dispersing the crowd, was accompanying them to the entire route which later on led to unfortunate riots between the two communities," the court observed further. 

The court also said, “It prima facie reflects the utter failure on the part of local Police in stopping the said procession having no permission. The issue seems to have been simply brushed aside by the senior officers. The liability on the part of the concerned officials needs to be fixed so that in future no such incident takes place and the police are not complacent in preventing the illegal activities. Their complicity, if any, also needs to be investigated."