Delhi HC seeks police's response on VHP chief's plea against FIR registration order

Delhi High Court on Friday asked Delhi Police to file a status report on a plea by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Alok Kumar challenging a trial court order for the registration of an FIR against him for allegedly inciting violence against members of the minority community.

A single-judge bench of Yogesh Khanna also put an interim stay on the trial court order directing to register FIR against Kumar and slated the matter for further hearing on May 12.

The trial court order was passed on a complaint filed by social activist Harsh Mander.

Senior Advocate Chetan Sharma, appearing on behalf of Alok Kumar, requested the court to set aside the trial court order directing the lodging of an FIR against the leader.

The trial court had, on February 18, ordered to lodge an FIR against Alok Kumar and Swamiji from Kashi for inciting violence against members of the Muslim community in Old Delhi's Lal Kuan nine months ago.

In his petition, Kumar said that the complaint filed by Mander is based upon some speech made by Swami Ji from Kashi on July 9, 2019, which was after the vandalisation that took place at Lal Kuan, Hauz Qazi Area of old Delhi on July 1, 2019.

In the incident, a parking scuffle between two persons led to the vandalism of a temple, following that a mob gathered outside the temple and started raising religious slogans.

Admittedly, no untoward incident had been reported after the alleged provocative speech of said Swami Ji from Kashi, it said.

Sharma told the court that complainant Mander does not allege that Alok Kumar made any speech in the said rally of July 09, 2019, nor Alok Kumar was present in the said rally of 09 July 2019.

He also said that the complainant does not allege that Alok Kumar had any role in the organisation of the rally.

In his plea, Kumar has also sought to initiate criminal proceedings against Mander.