NEW DELHI: In a move that may create yet another flashpoint between the Centre and the AAP government, the lieutenant governor on Wednesday appointed a new legal team to represent Delhi Police in all matters relating to the farmers’ agitation before Delhi High Court.
Delhi Police has decided to rope in Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to appear for them in all cases relating to the agitation and the protests that rocked the capital on Republic Day.
The move comes in the wake of a rash of public interest petitions being filed in connection with the agitation.
A letter to DCP (Legal Cell) of the city police from the home department read, “I am directed to convey the approval of Hon’ble Lt Governor, Delhi for the appointment of Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General, SV Raju, ASG, Amit Mahajan, Advocate and Rajat Nair, Advocate to represent Delhi Police in the matter of Dhananjai Jain vs UOI and other PILs, writ petitions related to farmers’ agitation.”
The same legal team is representing Delhi Police in the northeast Delhi riots case, with only ASG Raju the new entrant.
A day after large-scale violence hit the national capital on Republic Day, petitions started getting filed in the Delhi high court on the issue.
The one by Jain sought to remove people squatting under the garb of farmers’ agitation and clear all the roads and public places while also seeking a direction to remove the Delhi Police commissioner from his position with immediate effect and punish all the police officers who allegedly failed in discharging their duties relating to the Red Fort incident.
On Tuesday, the high court had rejected a PIL demanding immediate release of all those arrested or detained after the Republic Day agitation. Some other petitions are likely to come up for hearing later this week.