National News
FIRs to be registered at an appropriate time, Police tells Delhi HC; matter adjourned till April 13 : [Breaking] Delhi Riots.
The Court also granted the newly impleaded Central Government four weeks' time to file its counter affidavit in the matter.
The Delhi High Court today adjourned the hearing in Harsh Mander’s plea, filed in the wake of the riots in Delhi, to April 13.
The Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar also allowed the impleadment of the Central government in the matter and granted it four weeks to file a counter affidavit.The order was passed following submissions made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta today. The SG said that it is not conducive to file FIRs in the matter for hate speech at present.Mehta placed on record an affidavit regarding the registration of FIRs in the matter, submitting that the issue has been considered. He informed the Court that a decision was taken to defer the registration of FIRs.”I have avoided making statements which are not conducive. Authorities have examined all audio-video material. We have decided to defer the registration of FIR.”
Tushar Mehta
He added,”The condition is not conducive at this moment. FIRs will be registered at an appropriate time.”This submission was, however, opposed by Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra, who asked,”When 11 FIRs have already been registered with respect to the Delhi Riots, why not register FIR for hate speech?”
Mehra added,
“All of us are concerned about that is happening in Delhi, including the Centre and State, the Petitioner and everyone else.””The paramount concern should be the welfare of citizens at this moment. All of them are not here… they are suffering”, Mehra said.
Whereas the Commissioner of Delhi Police today told the High Court that 48 FIRs have been registered over the violence so far, SG Mehta pointed out that the same pertained to destruction of property.He went on to assert again that,
“At this juncture when all stakeholders are working to ensure normalcy, any hurried intervention may not be conducive.”Echoing arguments made before the Bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Talwant Singh yesterday, Mehta also re-asserted that Mander’s petition had selectively focused on three speeches alone.
“The Petitioner in his wisdom picked three speeches as hate speech accordingly to him. I argued that there could be such selective choosing…,There are large number of speeches that we have received. We can’t be choosy and selective about it”, said
Mehta.The Delhi High Court today adjourned the hearing in Harsh Mander’s plea, filed in the wake of the riots in Delhi, to April 13.
The Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar also allowed the impleadment of the Central government in the matter and granted it four weeks to file a counter affidavit.The order was passed following submissions made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta today. The SG said that it is not conducive to file FIRs in the matter for hate speech at present.Mehta placed on record an affidavit regarding the registration of FIRs in the matter, submitting that the issue has been considered. He informed the Court that a decision was taken to defer the registration of FIRs.”I have avoided making statements which are not conducive. Authorities have examined all audio-video material. We have decided to defer the registration of FIR.”
Tushar Mehta He added,
“The condition is not conducive at this moment. FIRs will be registered at an appropriate time.”This submission was, however, opposed by Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra, who asked,”When 11 FIRs have already been registered with respect to the Delhi Riots, why not register FIR for hate speech?”
Rahul Mehra added,
All of us are concerned about that is happening in Delhi, including the Centre and State, the Petitioner and everyone else.””The paramount concern should be the welfare of citizens at this moment. All of them are not here… they are suffering”, Mehra said.Whereas the Commissioner of Delhi Police today told the High Court that 48 FIRs have been registered over the violence so far, SG Mehta pointed out that the same pertained to destruction of property.He went on to assert again that,
“At this juncture when all stakeholders are working to ensure normalcy, any hurried intervention may not be conducive.”Echoing arguments made before the Bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Talwant Singh yesterday, Mehta also re-asserted that Mander’s petition had selectively focused on three speeches alone.
“The Petitioner in his wisdom picked three speeches as hate speech accordingly to him. I argued that there could be such selective choosing…,There are large number of speeches that we have received. We can’t be choosy and selective about it”, said Mehta.
