The Delhi High Court on Wednesday stayed the imposition of Rs 25,000 in case costs on Delhi Police and refused to interfere in the trial court’s probe in a case related to the Northeast Delhi pogrom which broke out in February last year.
The Court had slapped the fine on Delhi police for what it called a “casual, callous and farcical” investigation into the complaint by a man who was shot in his left eye during the communal riots in north-east Delhi in February last year.
On Monday, the police moved the high court against the trial court’s order of imposing a cost on it and calling the probe “farcical” and “callous”.
In his order, additional sessions judge Vinod Yadav pulled up the police for lack of efficacy and fairness in the investigation and said the probe was done in a most casual, callous, and farcical manner.
Justice Subramonium Prasad hearing the case declared, “We cannot expunge the remarks without hearing you (police). Costs may not be deposited till the next date of hearing.”
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju representing Delhi Police argued, “The main grievance at the moment was against the costs and strictures” Advocate Mehmood Pracha appearing for Mohammad Nasir argued in the court, “Police’s stand was misleading as his client was under continuous and tremendous pressure to withdraw his pleas before the court.”
The High Court has directed and issued a notice seeking response in ten days. The matter is adjourned for the next hearing on September 13.
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Ghazala Ahmad is the Delhi Correspondent for The Cognate.
