Patiala House violence: Police claim attackers identified

Three months after the unseemly violence at the Patiala House Court complex in the capital, in which journalists were assaulted and thrashed by some lawyers, all that Delhi Police say they have been able to do is to have “examined” the visual footage of the incident and identified the assaulters.

A report on the status of investigation will soon be submitted before the Supreme Court, which is hearing a plea seeking action against the attackers.

“We have examined visuals of the CCTV cameras installed in the Patiala House Court premises and identified the assaulters,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

Over 40 cameras are installed in various areas of the Patiala House Courts Complex and all of them were operational when the incident took place, a court official said.

He added that after the incident the court in-charge sent the visuals to the Delhi Police for conducting a fair probe into the matter.

A group of people in lawyers’ garb, on February 15 and 17, had assaulted mediapersons and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) teachers and students, including students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar, dubbing them anti-national.

Kanhaiya had been brought to the court on both days for his remand hearing, following his arrest under sedition charges for organising a meeting on campus in support of Afzal Guru in February.

The Delhi Police have registered four FIRs in the violence that took place in the court complex. Three lawyers – Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma – were arrested and later released on bail for allegedly interfering in the administration of justice and wilfully violating a February 17 order of the Supreme Court, which had directed the peaceful conduct of proceedings. 

Delhi BJP legislator OP Sharma was also arrested and later released on bail over his alleged involvement in the assault on CPI member Amieeque Jamei at Patiala House court complex.

The senior officer said that the police had recorded the statements of various people, including journalists, as prosecution witnesses in the case and the probe was still on.

“We are preparing an investigation report. A status report of the probe will first be submitted to the Supreme Court, and thereafter, we will file a charge-sheet in the case,” the officer said. He, however, declined to give more details about the investigation, saying the matter was sub-judice.

The Bar Council of India has also appointed a committee to inquire into the incidents.