2020 riots: Court extends stay on further probe against Law Minister
A Delhi court on Monday extended the stay on further investigation into Law Minister Kapil Mishra’s alleged involvement in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots case. The next date of hearing is scheduled for May 7.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order after being informed that the notice issued on April 9 to certain respondents had not been successfully served.
Earlier, on April 9, Justice Baweja had stayed the probe against Mishra till April 21, following an application filed by the minister challenging a magisterial court’s order.
As part of that earlier hearing, the court had issued notices to Ilyas and other respondents, directing them to submit their responses by April 21. However, with the notices remaining undelivered, the matter has now been deferred further.
Senior advocate PK Dubey appeared on behalf of Kapil Mishra, while Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad represented the Delhi Police.
Earlier, on April 1, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia had observed that there appeared to be a prima facie cognisable offence necessitating additional inquiry. “It is evident that Mishra was present in the area during the period in question…a further investigation is warranted,” the magistrate had noted in his order.
The Delhi Police, however, contested Ilyas’ request, maintaining that Mishra bore no responsibility for the outbreak of violence. The force reiterated that Mishra’s actions had already been scrutinised as part of the broader conspiracy probe into the riots.
According to police submissions, internal communications from the Delhi Protest Support Group (DPSG) suggested that road blockades, or chakka jams, had been premeditated, with planning documented as early as 15 and 17 February 2020. “The investigation revealed that attempts were made to falsely attribute blame to Mishra,” the police said.
The northeast Delhi was struck by multiple waves of communal violence in February 2020 that tore apart the social fabric of the city during which 54 people were killed either by lynching, stabbing or even more brutal ways. Around 40 among the dead belonged to the minority community.
Delhi