Delhi HC issues notice to Centre, Delhi police on pleas related to Jamia violence

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued a notice to Central government and city police on the various petitions related to Jamia Milia Islamia incident matter.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and C Har Shankar asked the Centre and Delhi Police to file response the petitions and listed the matter for further hearing on February 4.

Various petitioners have moved the High Court seeking remedies including forming of a fact-finding committee to probe the violence that took place after Delhi Police attacked students protesting against (Citizen Amendment) Act.

The petitioners said that this was the "most significant attack" on the students since independence appealing the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to work as Amicus Curiae.

Meanwhile, the petitioner's counsel also sought interim relief from any coercive steps against them.

As the court denied to grant any interim protection and giving a shorter date for hearing, some of the lawyers present in the courtroom shouted "shame, shame".

The judges, however, did not react, ignored the hooting and left for their chambers.

Meanwhile, one of the petitioners told the court that around 450 tear gases were fired during Jamia Milia incident which is highest since 2012.He also told the court one of the students have received injuries in his eyes and lost sight in one of his eyes. Appearing petitioners Senior Advocates Sanjay Hegde and Indira Jaising referred various medical reports confirming grievous injuries and said that one of the students had suffered bullet injuries. They also raised questions over police entering the university campus without permission and attacking unarmed students.

Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves requested the court that to grant medical assistance for injured students, to keep criminal proceedings against students in abeyance, to preserve the CCTV footage to find out who is right and who is wrong.

One of the public suit filed in the court has also sought an order to stay upon any coercive steps against the FIRs registered against the students among other remedies.

It said that the Delhi Police used "arbitrary, excessive, discriminatory and illegal force" against the students more particularly female Students of Jamia Millia Islamia University, on the false pretext of restoring law and order.

The plea also told the court that students are protesting against the Citizen Amendment Act through a peaceful March.

"As per various accounts by the students and multiple videos readily available, the said protest was disrupted by the Delhi Police, by using unjustified in total disregard of law and conventions. The Students were mercilessly beaten, hurled abuses, racial and derogatory comments were herald, expired tear-gas shells were fired," the petition said.

The plea said that the injuries received by the students are grievous in nature and many of them were rushed to AIIMS and Apollo Hospital in order to provide urgent medical help.

"Such acts by the police cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be termed as a justifiable and reasonable police action. It can only be called a blatant abuse of power upon unarmed and innocent students," it submitted.

The petitioner has sought a direction that the police should not enter the University premises without the requisite permission from the authorities.