Jamia violence probe: Delhi Police opposes in HC plea seeking SIT

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Tuesday opposed in the high court here a plea to set up a SIT to inquire into alleged police atrocities that took place in Jamia Millia Islamia University in December 2019 following student protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The police responded to an 'amendment application' — filed in a pending PIL concerning the incident of violence at the varsity - that also sought the transfer of FIRs lodged against students to an independent agency and argued that a "stranger" cannot seek a judicial inquiry or investigation by any third-party agency.

The police stated that the application was "nothing but a disguised attempt by a third party interloper to interfere in criminal matters in the garb of PIL" and a PIL petitioner cannot be permitted to choose the members of SIT for investigating and prosecuting any alleged offence. "The petitioners, who are third-party strangers under the garb of PIL, cannot seek either a judicial inquiry or investigation by any third-party agency for ventilating grievances of persons who are not before the Hon'ble Court. It is submitted that an amendment which changes the nature of the plaint/petition, in law, cannot be permitted," the reply said.

"It is submitted that the petitioners, who claim to be students of Jamia, do not have locus to seek registration of FIR/judicial inquiry or investigation by a third party agency on behalf of a third person stranger. It is well settled that it is impermissible in law to seek the intervention of the Hon'ble Courts in criminal matters in the garb of PIL," it added.