Delhi HC lists pleas on violence, hate speech by political leaders for hearing on March 12

The Delhi High Court on Friday listed the pleas on violence in North East Delhi and hate speech by political leaders for hearing on March 12, PTI reported.

The decision was made by a bench headed by Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar. The public interest litigation sought registration of first information reports and arrests for the violence. At least 53 people were killed and over 200 injured within a span of a week last month, as supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act clashes in North East Delhi district.

The police told the court that efforts were underway to recover to recover bodies from drains in North East Delhi. Advocate AS Chandhiok informed the court that drains there were full of bodies and sought directions to clear them.

Rahul Mehra, appearing for the police, said steps have been taken by the law and order agency along with the Jal Board and irrigation department to clear the bodies from the drains.

The High Court also directed hospitals not to dispose of any unidentified body till March 11, and to preserve DNA samples of all bodies, The Quint reported.

The court also sought responses from the Delhi government and the police on another public interest litigation, filed by Left leader Brinda Karat, seeking directions to make public the list of persons arrested in connection with the violence. Karat’s plea also sought to put up this list outside the police control room and police stations in North East Delhi district.

The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed by Parliament in December, provides citizenship to members of minority religious communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, provided they have entered India on or before December 31, 2014. The Act has been criticised for excluding Muslims. There have been consistent protests against it, with clashes breaking out between supporters of the Act and those opposing it in North East Delhi on February 23.