Hearing a plea in the Delhi violence that erupted in North East parts of the national capital, the court today said that we cannot let another 1984 happen in this country; not under the watch of this Court.
The Court directed to set up helplines for immediate help for victims, private ambulances to be provided for safe passage of victims and to set up shelters for rehabilitation along with basic facilities.
The court expressed concern over the body of an IB officer that was found in north-east Delhi. Court said it was “very unfortunate”. They have instructed the ‘highest functionaries’ in state and central government to personally meet the victims and their families. However, the Delhi High Court did not specify who these ‘highest functionaries’ are.
“Keep aside your political differences and make your highest functionary to visit the victims,” the judge said.
The Delhi High Court Wednesday said this is the time for authorities to reach out and show that there is security is for everyone in the national capital.
“Highest constitutional functionary move in Z+ security. This is the time to reach out and show that this security is for everyone,” Justice D S Muralidhar said.
The court was also informed that treatment has been given to the patients pursuant the court’s earlier order of shifting patients to the GTB hospital. But all of them could not be shifted to GTB since it was full but some have been taken to the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) and RML Hospital.
The judge said the court appreciates the work and effort of the Delhi Police for acting promptly after the Tuesday midnight order.
Delhi High Court Justice S Muralidhar was also “amazed” to hear a senior police official tell him during a Wednesday hearing that the police had not watched footage of an alleged hate speech by BJP leader Kapil Mishra.
Justice Muralidhar also asked the official, Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Rajesh Deo, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehra if they had seen the footage of Mishra.
Deo responded and said he had watched videos of BJP leaders Anurag Thakur or Parvesh Verma, but not of Mishra. This prompted the judge to say he was “really amazed at the state of affairs of the Delhi Police”, and observe that the commissioner’s office must have several TVs.
He asked court staff to play the footage.
Justice Muralidhar also reacted sharply when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, when asked about the police personnel present at the spot where Mishra made the speech, that he didn’t watch TV and could not base his reply on a newspaper report.
Justices Muralidhar and Talwant Singh were hearing a plea seeking lodging of FIRs and arrests of those involved in the ongoing communal violence in parts of northeast Delhi over the Citizenship Amendment Act.