HC seeks Centre's reply on early hearing plea in violence at Jamia over CAA

The Delhi High Court Friday sought response of the Centre on a plea for early hearing on a petition seeking setting up of a judicial commission to look into the violence of Jamia Millia Islamia University protests against the Citizenship (amendment) Act (CAA) last December.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, asked the government and Delhi Police to file their reply to the plea and listed the matter for further hearing on June 5.

The application has sought preponement of hearing of the petition which is fixed for July.

The application was filed in a pending petition by advocate and petitioner Nabila Hasan in which she has sought action against the police for brutally attacking the petitioners, students and residents of Jamia Millia Islamia and against the ruthless, and excessive use of force and aggress unleashed by police and paramilitary forces on students within the university.

The plea, filed through advocate Sneha Mukherjee, said the government imposed complete lockdown across the country on March 24 due to the spread of coronavirus during which movement of people is restricted, however, several students from the university have been called to the police station and crime branch.

It said the students are made to sit there for hours in the name of investigation being conducted by the police and the harassment of the students at the hand of the Delhi Police has not stopped even with the current situations in the country.

The high court had earlier issued notice to the Centre, AAP government and police on the petition and sought their responses.

Besides, various other petitions were also filed, including by lawyers, students of JMI, residents of Okhla where the university is located and the Imam of Jama Masjid mosque opposite Parliament House, and they sought action including medical treatment and compensation for the students and registration of FIRs against the erring police officers.