The Delhi High Court on Friday observed that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report on violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University in December last year did not give clean chit to anyone.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan noted that the report also stated that the “entire police action was not handled very professionally”.
The High Court’s remark came after Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi, appearing for Delhi Police, cited the NHRC report to seek dismissal of a bunch of petitions to set up an independent enquiry into the police brutality on students inside the university campus.
The ASG stated that the NHRC report did not say that the police action as a whole was unnecessary. Mr. Lekhi said that terming the entry of police into the Jamia campus as “illegal and malafide” just because the students inside the campus were from minority community is completely untenable and unfounded.
Mr. Lekhi further stated that the protests at Jamia was not peaceful, including destruction of private and public property. He said the protests was a mask for something far grave and serious.
The court has adjourned the hearing on the matter for August 28.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions, moved by lawyers, students of JMI, residents of Okhla in south Delhi, seeking setting up of a judicial commission to look into the Jamia violence and registration of FIRs against the erring police officers. Refuting the allegations, Delhi Police has sought dismissal of pleas.
On previous hearing, senior advocate Salman Khurshid, representing one of the petitioners, also urged for an independent committee into the police brutality. He said that the police should not become a judge in its own cause. Mr. Khurshid pointed out that since there was a public road dividing the Jamia campus, students had gathered on the road where they are joined by others.