Delhi court orders separation of trial of accused, based on their religion

Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav made the decision while hearing a “peculiar” case in which three of the five accused belonged to the Hindu religion and the remaining two to Islam.

Taking cues from the 2002 Godhra riots cases, a Delhi Court has ordered separation of trial of accused, arrested in connection with the north-east Delhi riots, based on their religion.

Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav, who has been dealing with majority of the 2020 riots cases, made the decision while hearing a “peculiar” case in which three of the five accused belonged to the Hindu religion and the remaining two to Islam.

“Now, a peculiar situation has arisen that whether the trial can be permitted to proceed with assortment of accused persons from different religions purportedly acting under two different conspiracies and unlawful assemblies,” pondered the judge.