The Supreme Court on Friday, 17 December, asked the Delhi High Court to take an expedited decision, preferably within three months, on a petition seeking the registration of an FIR against certain BJP leaders for delivering inflammatory speeches that incited the 2020 Delhi riots.
The plea seeks an FIR and an investigation of Union Minister Anurag Thakur, in addition to politicians Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Verma, Abhay Verma.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioners, argued in the court that the case was "simple and straightforward," and sought for filing of FIRs based on video documentation of the alleged hate speeches, as per LiveLaw.
"Petitioners are losing hope. What justice for Jamia students? What justice for Delhi riots victims? Students were brutally beaten...heads cracked," Gonsalves was quoted as saying by NDTV, as he apprised the court of the delay in the high court's hearing of the case.
A bench comprising Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice BR Gavai, while it refused to entertain the petition itself, said in its order, "We request the high court to decide the writ petition expeditiously, preferably within a period of three months," reported LiveLaw.
Communal clashes had taken over northeast Delhi in February last year. 53 people had been reported dead, hundreds were injured, and property worth crores was destroyed in the violence.
In a video that had been widely circulated before the riots broke out, BJP leader Kapil Mishra could be heard inciting violence while addressing a pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) gathering at Maujpur Chowk in northeast Delhi.
(With inputs from NDTV and LiveLaw)
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