[Delhi Riots] Police worked with utmost integrity, not on communal lines: Delhi Court

The Delhi Police appears to have done its job with utmost integrity and certainly not on communal lines, a Delhi Court remarked recently while dealing with a bail plea of an accused in a Delhi Riots case [State v. Arif]..Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhatt’s remarks came in the bail plea of the accused named Arif, who argued through Advocate Mehmood Pracha..The Court was critical of the counsel’s submissions which the judge stated, were “certainly not in good taste”.“These are noted with immense disgust, repugnance and strong disapproval,” the order added..The counsel, according to the order, submitted that the riots that took place in February 2020, were not communal riots.“It is his submission that the riots had taken place at the instance of certain political vested interests to derail the peaceful protest which was going on against the newly promulgated CAA/NRC by the Parliament of India. He argued that only the persons belonging to Muslim community like the applicant herein were targeted by the police in the aftermath of the riots and were arraigned in false criminal cases,” it noted..The Court observed that the counsel had not showed any material to substantiate his claim that the riots were not communal in nature or was the handiwork of any political party.“It is the counsel himself, who is now painting the entire Delhi Police with a communal brush by saying that the criminal cases related to the riots have been fastened upon the members of Muslim community alone. The statement of counsel is not only highly irresponsible but also patently false,” the Court held..The Court went ahead to observe that while dealing with riots cases, it had noticed that members of both communities had been arraigned as accused and chargesheeted by the police.“In some cases, it has been observed that there are witnesses belonging to Hindu community cited against the accused belonging to the same community and witnesses belonging to Muslim community cited against the accused belonging to the same community,” it added..Therefore, in the Court's opinion, the police had done its job with “utmost integrity and certainly not on communal lines”.“May be some lapses have been occurred during the investigation of these cases related to the riots but even those lapses also do not give any slightest indication that the investigation was not fair and impartial or that it was on communal lines,” it said..The petitioner's lawyer was, therefore, “well advised” to desist from making “irresponsible, uncalled for and patently false” submissions.“The cases before this court are very serious and sensitive in nature and require to be dealt with in a professional manner and without any communal taint,” the Court highlighted..The Court also expressed displeasure over the submission relating to the chargesheet, which was termed to be a “bunch of papers”.“The submissions of the counsel that the chargesheet is only a bunch of papers is again distasteful, to say least,” it added..On perusing the facts of the case, the Court recorded,“The evidence on record in this case prima facie indicates that the applicant was a member of unlawful assembly that attacked and caused death of one Alok Tiwari.”It thus refused to grant the applicant bail, given that there is every likelihood he may approach or intimidate the only eye witness or may try to abscond..[Read Order]