Delhi court rejects clean chit given to Manish Sisodia in Jamia violence tweet case

A Delhi court on Monday directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to submit a fresh report on the complaint about Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's tweet alleging "police personnel of setting Delhi Transport Corporation buses on fire".

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja, after hearing arguments in the matter, rejected the clean chit given to Sisodia in the matter and directed the commissioner to file a fresh report by March 17.

Complainant advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava strongly objected to the Delhi Police report, which stated that no cognizable offence is made out against him.

During the hearing, the court recorded serious objections by the complaint on the actions taken report (ATR) filed by Tilak Marg Police Station, in which they had said they have not even received the complaint.

The court had earlier called for an ATR on the complaint seeking registration of FIR against Sisodia for allegedly spreading fake news during Jamia violence.

The complaint said that despite lapse of more than one and a half months, the police have not yet registered an FIR against the accused and sought directions for the same against Sisodia under several relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act.

Sisodia had on December 15 shared pictures and videos purportedly from Jamia Nagar in which police officers were seen carrying barrels and pouring liquid onto the DTC buses.

He had alleged that the BJP had used the police to set buses on fire during the incident. At least three DTC buses were set on fire in the Bharat Nagar area of the national capital on December 15 after a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent in the area.