[CAA/NRC protests] 541 FIRs registered for damage to property but only 8 cases decided: Delhi Police affidavit in High Court

More than two-and-half years after clashes broke out in Delhi over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), only 8 out of 541 FIRs registered for damage to public and private property have been decided so far, an affidavit filed by the Delhi Police revealed..The affidavit filed before the Delhi High Court stated that in more than half of the registered cases (276), trial was still going on, and in 36 cases, accused are yet to be traced. The police is yet to complete investigation in more than 210 cases..The response came in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by a member of BJP’s Mahila Morcha, Hinu Mahajan, and a law student named Amandeep Singh Gehlot.The petition sought recovery of damages from people involved in the destruction of public property during the Delhi Riots of February 2020 as well as protests against the CAA and the NRC..In the affidavit, Delhi Police has said that during the entire period of protests against CAA/NRC and blockades of roads by the protestors, it remained vigilant and cautious and took all necessary measures to ensure that the “protestors may not breach the law and order situation in the area under the grab of exercising the constitutional rights available with them”.“That during riots the police authorities acted promptly, vigilantly and effectively without any fear or favour and in a professional manner. The police acted swiftly to control law and order situation in the affected areas and to save life and property of the people. All earnest efforts, including deployment of adequate force and involving respectable citizens of the area were made to restore normalcy. Due to the measures taken by Delhi Police, the violence could be contained in few days and was confined to a limited area,” the affidavit stated..It added that since the violence began, 758 cases have been registered. "The investigation of these cases is being carried out in a professional and scientific manner under monitoring of senior officers," the Court was told..A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad heard the matter on Wednesday and listed the case for further consideration on January 13, directing the counsel appearing for Delhi Police to bring its affidavit on record.