Efforts on to recover bodies from drains in Delhi, police tells HC

The police told the Delhi High Court Friday that efforts were on to recover bodies from drains in northeast Delhi where riots over the amended citizenship law have left at least 44 people dead and over 200 injured.

The submission by Delhi Police was made before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar after senior advocate A S Chandhiok told the court that drains there were full of bodies and sought directions to clear them.

Chandhiok's oral plea was made during hearing of multiple pleas related to violence in northeast Delhi and including the ones seeking filing of FIRs against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Kapil Mishra for allegedly making hate speeches.

In response to the oral plea, Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra, appearing for the police, said steps have been taken by the law and order agency along with the Jal Board and irrigation department to clear the bodies from the drains in north east district of the national capital.

Several bodies, believed to be riot causalities, have been recovered from the drains in Shiv Vihar and other violence-hit areas, and have been kept at RML Hospital.