There should be no delay in lodging FIRs over alleged hate speeches: Delhi High Court

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday Delhi High Court told Delhi police that there should be no delay in lodging FIRs over alleged hate speeches.

"The Commissioner shall follow the Lalita Kumari guidelines and seriously consider the consequences of not registering the FIR. No one is above the Rule of Law," the court said.

A video clip of Bharatiya Janata Party's leader Kapil Mishra's alleged hate statements was played out in the court during a hearing plea filed by retired bureaucrat Harsh Mander. Mishra had made hate remarks just hours before the violence broke in the city.

The petitioner had requested for a judicial enquiry on the incidents of violence, deployment of army, FIR against the culprits, and compensation for the victims during the ongoing violence in the capital.

The court ordered urgent registration of FIRs after the videos were played in open court. Videos of hate speeches by four BJP leaders - Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Abhay Verma, and Parvesh Verma were the names cited by the bench of judges.

Justice Muralidhar shot back immediately, "Isn't lodging of FIRs against the culprits an urgent matter? The situation out there is very unpleasant."

The court's comment came after a tension-filled hearing.

The violence in Delhi has already left 23 dead and nearly 200 injured, claim reports.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called for the intervention of the army to control the situation in Delhi.

Yesterday, Kejriwal had called for sealing the city's border in areas that witnessed violence over the amended citizenship act to prevent "outsiders" from entering the national capital and creating a commotion.

A few days ago, sporadic incidents of stone-pelting between anti and pro-CAA groups at Maujpur in east Delhi broke a relative lull in tension over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. The police fired teargas shells. The tension erupted after a pro-CAA rally in the area was stoned by a group of anti-CAA protesters. Following stone-pelting by both groups, the police stepped in to disperse the two groups.

Metro stations have been shut down in the area as a precautionary measure. Metro rail stations that have been shut down include the Maujpur-Babarpur and the Seelampur metro station, adding to the overall congestion and chaos prevailing in the area. More security forces are being directed to the spot from other areas including nearby Jaffrabad.

Also Read: Delhi violence: Journalists, reporters attacked by rioting mob in the capital

Also Watch: Assam government to provide arsenic-free drinking water in river island Majuli