Status Report on probe into Delhi Dharam Sansad hate speech ready: Delhi Police to Supreme Court

The Delhi Police informed the Supreme Court on Monday that the status report regarding progress of the investigation and arrests in the December 2021 Delhi Dharam Sansad hate speech case is almost ready and would be shared with the Court soon [Tushar Gandhi vs Rakesh Asthana]..A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala was hearing a plea by social activist and Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, against former Delhi Police Chief Rakesh Asthana. The plea claimed that the controversial Dharam Sansads were allowed to be held in Delhi in December 2021 in violation of Supreme Court orders..The Court today adjourned the matter by three weeks, and ordered that it be informed of the status of the investigation and the submission of the status report by then. "List after three weeks. Court shall be apprised on affidavit on status of investigation and the submission of the report", said the Court. .On January 13, the top court had asked the investigating officer (IO) in the case to submit a status report regarding the progress of the investigation and arrests in the matter after being informed that the first information report (FIR) in the case was registered five months after the incident and that no charges have been framed until then. The Court had asked for the submission of the report in two weeks' time. However, Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj submitted today that the report was almost ready. Therefore, the case was adjourned. .During the hearing, Advocate Shadan Farasat, who appeared for the petitioner, also urged the Court to examine what preventive steps could be taken to ensure that there is no repeat of similar incidents. .Solicitor General Tushar Mehta suggested that the Sudarshan TV case could be tagged as there are intertwined issues involved and that it could become a "pathbreaking and a landmark issue." The Supreme Court is also hearing a batch of pleas seeking steps to be taken against hate speech incidents. During its previous hearing, the top court had said that television channels in India are creating divisions in the society since such channels are driven by agenda, compete to sensationalise news, and act as per the dictates of their funders. .[Read our live-coverage of the hearing below].[Read order]