Only eight cases out of the 541 First Information Reports (FIRs) pertaining to the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests have been decided in courts, and the trials are pending in 51 percent of these cases, Delhi Police told the High Court on Tuesday, 20 September.
As per the submission by the police, trials are pending in 276 cases and the investigation is yet to be completed in 213 cases, LiveLaw reported.
Delhi Police's report comes in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) that was aimed at recovering damages from the persons who allegedly undertook the destruction of public property in 2020.
Two years ago, violence had broken out in the national capital, after students, activists, and civilians clashed with the police to protest the CAA-National Register of Citizens (NRC) policy of the Narendra Modi government.
Consequently, a total of 23 FIRs were registered against those accused of damaging public properties, and 518 FIRs were registered over damage to private properties.
Further, the police submitted that the accused are absconding in as many as 36 cases, and four FIRs have been quashed.
While one of the FIR stands cancelled, the status report provides no details about why the remaining three FIRs were quashed.
More About the PIL
The PIL, filed by an advocate and a law student, sought the constitution of an independent machinery to assess the damage caused.
In their response, the Delhi Police rubbished the plea as "false" and "baseless."
The police said, "It is stated that during the entire period of protest against CAA/NRC and blockades of roads by the protestors, Delhi Police remained vigilant and cautious and took all necessary measures to ensure that the protest may not escalate and the protestors may not breach the law and order situation in the area under the grab of exercising the constitutional rights available with them," LiveLaw reported.
(With inputs from LiveLaw.)
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