Delhi HC gives Centre a week to reply on transferring Jamia violence probe to independent agency

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to file a reply within a week to an amendment application seeking to transfer of investigation against the students and on their complaints against police officers in the Jamia Millia violence case from Delhi Police to an independent agency.

The application also includes the request made by a student named Nabila Hasan seeking the constitution of an independent special investigation team (SIT) headed by any of the officers among a panel of four officers comprising Vibhuti Narain Rai, Vikram Chand Goyel, R.M.S. Brar and Kamlendra Prasad.

The division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh will now consider the matter on December 13.

The case relates to the violence that broke out on the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia on December 15, 2019, during the students’ protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for one of the petitioners, submitted that the case was being dealt with by another bench earlier. He contended that the matter hasn’t been taken up for 2.5-3 years.

According to Gonsalves, students had gathered at the gate of Jamia for a peaceful march to the Parliament to protest against CAA and NRC in December 2019. However, they were told that they cannot march even peacefully and later they were brutally attacked.

“Merciless beating… and it is now well-documented. They fractured the bones of many students, blinded one and went into the girls’ hostel who were also beaten mercilessly, went into the library…,” he submitted.

Representing the police, advocate Rajat Nair submitted that the application has not been allowed yet, to which the court said it would have to first determine the scope of the proceedings.

The Centre told the court that no reply has been filed to the application even after the issuance of notice.

“So we will give you time till next week to file a reply to this application,” the bench said.

–IANS