Shaheen Bagh protestors write letter to Supreme Court, seek probe into 'forcible removal', 'destruction' of protest site

Shaheen Bagh protestors on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into alleged "forcible removal and destruction" of their protest site on March 24 and have sought a direction from the apex court for citizens' rights.

The Shaheen Bagh protestors wrote the letter through the court-appointed interlocutors, about "forcible and vindictive removal" of the protest site at Shaheen Bagh on the morning of March 24, 2020, and the subsequent detention of "peaceful, innocent protesters and volunteers".

"While we understand the need for the stricter imposition of curfew and enforcement of pertinent restrictions, the ruthless dismantling of the markers of our physical protest, especially the very structures whose placement is in question in a matter that is sub-judice in the SC," the protestors said in the letter.

A copy of the letter has been accessed by ANI.

"We would like to reiterate here on record that March 23 was designated as the next date of hearing in the SC regarding the road closure around Shaheen Bagh and a fair discussion around reaching some mutually convenient solution was to be expected," the letter stated.

It is extremely disheartening and faith-rattling to see the unrestrained, almost vindictive force that has been used against our site and the legacy we struggled to create, in spite of these very matters being under the review and scrutiny of the Supreme Court, the letter further stated.

"In fact, the police also brought along young civilian men in large numbers to our site (some on tractors) to assist with this forced dismantling", the letter claimed.

"This is deeply unsettling and we demand a fair probe into the involvement of all the unidentified, non-designated and non-police personnel present with the police forces at Shaheen Bagh between the hours of 6-10 am on March 24, 2020, the letter stated.

"We would also like to ask the Court whether it will grant us any protection during the proceeding of this case, seeing as how the Delhi Police has no regard for this matter being sub judice in the top court of our nation? We have come a long distance in our fight against injustice. We do realise that our efforts have birthed practical, tangible sources of dissent in the system itself," the letter stated.

Amid a COVID-19 lockdown, Delhi Police on Tuesday cleared the Shaheen Bagh protest site where people were agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Act. A few protesters were also detained for "unlawful assembly" during the lockdown.

"People at the protest site in Shaheen Bagh were requested today to clear the site as lockdown has been imposed. But after they refused, the action was taken against violators as the assembly was unlawful. Protest site has been cleared. Some protestors have been detained," said RP Meena, DCP South-East district.

Advocate Amit Sahni, who filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking clearance of the anti-CAA protest site in Shaheen Bagh, welcomed Delhi Police's move to clear the site on Tuesday and said that it has come as a great relief.