CAA protests in Daryaganj: Court directs police to allow detainees to meet their legal counsel

A Delhi court has directed SHO, Daryaganj, to allow detainees to meet their legal counsel in the police station.

The direction was given by Arul Verma, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Central District, Delhi, after hearing an application on late Friday.

Several policemen suffered injuries in stone pelting by unidentified people during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, in Daryaganj area on Friday. Delhi Police detained around 40 persons and said strict legal action will be taken against those who have been found involved in the violence and arson.

An application was filed seeking directions to be issued to concerned police authorities to let the advocates meet those detained. It was submitted that a certain number of individuals, including minors, had been detained at Daryaganj Police Station.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate has also directed the police to provide the detainees necessary medical treatment as lawyers apprised the CMM that some of the detainees have been kept in detention in an injured condition.

Detention of minors in a police station is a flagrant violation of law. The law is well settled in this regard. If there are minors, they would be, and shall be, in case the need arises, dealt with as per the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Judge stated.

The police also used water cannon on protesters gathered at Jama Masjid after they started pelting stones.

Protests have erupted across the country against the newly-enacted citizenship law, which grants Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.