Court pulls up police for shoddy probe in 2020 Delhi riots case

The court was hearing an application moved by IO Arvind Kumar seeking permission to re-examine the witnesses to get clarifications about the exact time and date of the incidents that were clubbed together in case.

The Karkardooma court in Delhi has once again slammed the police for the shoddy probe in a case pertaining to northeast Delhi riots in 2020. The court asked the Police Commissioner to conduct an inquiry against the Investigating Officer (IO) who prepared the charge sheet merely based on “hearsay evidence”.

“....it is very painful that previous IOs literally wasted time of this court by filing report of investigation based on hearsay evidence,” observed Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala on Thursday.

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The court was hearing an application moved by IO Arvind Kumar seeking permission to re-examine the witnesses to get clarifications about the exact time and date of the incidents that were clubbed together in case.

The matter pertains to a First Information Report (FIR) lodged at the Gokulpuri police station during riots, in 2020, in which multiple people have been accused for rioting, arson and unlawful assembly.

Earlier in January, the court had directed the police to file description of evidence to show the date and time of each incident in the case where multiple FIRs have been clubbed.

“…till now the time of alleged incidents as reported in previous charge sheets are based on the statement of complainants/witnesses, who had not seen the incidents themselves and who referred to such timing on the basis of getting such information from other person,” the IO said in the application.