The Delhi High Court on Tuesday again adjourned the hearing on a plea seeking a judicial inquiry on the alleged excesses committed by the Delhi Police inside Jamia Millia Islamia University campus to April 29.
The bench headed by Chief Justice DN Patel asked the state to file a counter-affidavit in compliance with the last order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has accepted the notice on behalf of the state. In the previous hearing, the court had denied interim protection to students.
Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for another petitioner, contended that the Centre ought to have filed its response to the petitioners in compliance with the last order.
Colin Gonsalves, appearing for students, submitted that ninety-three students have given cognizable complaints, their plight has also been captured in the CCTV cameras, but none of these complaints has been converted into FIRs.
Gonsalves argued that students have highlighted instances of police brutality in their complaints. He asked the court to pass a direction to police to immediately register FIRs on the students’ complaints.
Mehta representing the Delhi Police countered that there should be single and composite FIR, instead of lodging multiple FIRS. To this Gonsalves retorted, police have lodged multiple FIRs, but none has been registered from the students’ side.
The Delhi High Court earlier refused to grant interim protection from the police’s coercive action on students of Jamia Milia Islamia who are protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.
Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the petitioners had asked in open court what reason the police had to enter the library and even toilets and use tear gas. He had further asked for court’s intervention to set a protocol for future situations, including informing university authorities before making arrests.
He had also suggested setting up a commission with a retired judge of the apex court or a high court, who is conversant with the Delhi clime or has at times worked with the Delhi Police.
Manoj Dhiryan, one of the petitioners, had said that the police action was a signal from the Centre to quell the freedom of expression.
The following recourse has been sought:
– FIR be registered against guilty police officers
– Free medical support be given to the injured students
– A Committee to be constituted which is to find the true facts
– Appropriate orders be given regarding the open-ended FIRs which have been registered against “students” and “unknown persons” which leaves the choice to add names as per wish.
The Chief Proctor of Jamia has questioned the action of police entering the hostels and campus without permission and beat up students.
The Vice-Chancellor demanded “a high-level enquiry” and said authorities will file an FIR against police for “vandalism and brutality.”