The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a public interest litigation seeking the setting up of a fact-finding committee to look into the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University on Sunday, PTI reported.
On Wednesday, advocate Rizwan, representing the petitioners, mentioned the plea before a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Rekha Palli. The court agreed to hear the public interest litigation on Thursday.
The violence broke out on Sunday evening after a protest march by Jamia students against the Citizenship Amendment Act ended in a pitched battle with the Delhi Police. Buses were set on fire, and several students and police officers were injured. After the violent clashes, the police allegedly entered the campus without permission and cracked down on students. Later in the evening, the police detained around 100 students, who were released around 3.30 am on Monday. The police have been accused of using excessive force and even assaulting students.
The plea in the High Court sought a judicial inquiry into the police action against students at the university, including alleged firing. The plea also demanded that proper medical treatment and compensation be provided to the injured students.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court said that the pleas against police action on students at Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh should be referred to relevant High Courts. The top court also refused to set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the police action against students.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, said High Courts may appoint former judges of the Supreme Court to conduct inquiries after hearing the Centre and the concerned state government.
The contentious amendments to the Act allow citizenship to persecuted people of six religious communities – but not Muslims – from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, provided they have resided in India for six years. The cut-off date is December 31, 2014. The amendments were approved by both Houses of Parliament this week and were signed into law by President Ram Nath Kovind on December 12.
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