SC refuses to entertain pleas on tractor rally violence

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain pleas seeking time-bound probe, including by an apex court-appointed commission, into the tractor rally violence in the national capital on the Republic Day saying the government is already inquiring the matter and the Prime Minister has stated that law will take its own course.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, which observed that the apex court does not want to interfere at this stage, said it is not

condoning the violence and the petitioners can make representation before the government.

We are sure that government is inquiring into it and taking appropriate action. We have read statement made by the Prime Minister in the press that law will take its own course. That means they are inquiring into it, said the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

We do not want to interfere in it at this stage. You can go and file representation before them (authorities), the bench said.

The tractor parade on January 26 that was to highlight the demands of farmer unions to repeal three new agri laws dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

During the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, advocate Vishal Tiwari, who had filed one of the pleas, raised apprehension on whether all the sides will be heard during the inquiry by the authorities.

How can you assume that it will be one-sided? They are doing it and obviously they will investigate everything, the bench said.

When one of the petitioners referred to the January 26 violence, the bench observed, We are not condoning it.

The writ petitions are allowed to be withdrawn with liberty to make appropriate representation before the government, the bench said in

its order.