New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday granted interim protection from arrest to one Rashid, who had moved a plea seeking relief from arrest in a north-east Delhi riots case, where his father, Hashim Ali, has been made both the accused and the complainant by the Delhi Police in a bizarre investigation.
Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav granted the relief to Rashid, whose house was allegedly burnt down by alleged rioters last year. Interestingly, Rashid's father's case had drawn the ire of the court, which noted the absurdity of the Delhi Police first clubbing his complaint with another unrelated one and then arresting and charging him in that same complaint - making him both the accused and complainant.
Rashid's separate complaint for the burning of his floor was also clubbed and his plea for protection from arrest said the police might now arrest him in the same case as his father.
On Rashid's plea, ASJ Yadav said: "My attention has been drawn to complainant dt.01.03.2020 filed by the applicant inter-alia naming few persons who had vandalized and put on fire his house". The court further said that, "However, later on, his complaint was tagged alongwith the complaint of one Babu Khan whereupon FIR no. 142/20, PS Karawal Nagar was registered".
"It is evident that the police did not investigate the complaint of the applicant and now wants to arrest him in the matter," the court order read.
ASJ Yadav further directed the IO or SHO to file a reply in the matter and granted relief from arrest to Rashid till the next date of hearing on April 24 subject to his joining investigation in the matter as and when called by the IO by issuing him a notice in writing.
Rashid's lawyer, MR Shamshad told Millennium Post: "Rashid had named one Umakant alias Titu out of the six other persons in his complaint but rather than investigating that, he is now on the radar of police with regard to Naresh Chand's complaint where his father was arrested."