Delhi riots 2020: Court asks DCP to apprise investigating officers of earlier office order

Delhi court directs DCP to inform IOs of 2020 riots cases to be present during arguments on charges.

A court in Delhi has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) concerned to apprise all investigating officers (IOs) of the 2020 Delhi riots cases of an earlier office order which directed them to remain present before the judge at the stage of arguments and submissions on charges.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing a rioting case which was at the stage of hearing the arguments on charges.

In the last hearing on December 17 last year, the court noted that the IO was absent to answer the query regarding the number of video clips being relied upon in this case and why only selected video clips had been supplied to the accused persons.

In the hearing on February 13, the court noted a reply from the station house office (SHO) concerned that the IO, sub-inspector Rajiv Kumar, was absent as he did not receive any summons or information for his presence.

The judge said, “As far as I remember, in the past in respect of cases of riots itself an office order was issued from headquarters of Delhi Police at the behest of the Commissioner of Police, thereby requiring all the IOs to remain present before the court, at least at the stage of arguments and consideration on the point of charge.”

He said that the office order was probably not known to the SHOs and IOs.

“Let DCP (northeast district) take suitable steps to apprise his subordinate officials about the instructions/guidelines/circulars/office orders issued by superior officers of the department and a mechanism be also evolved to fix the accountability for ignoring such orders,” the judge said.