Delhi govt approval to withdraw 17 cases filed against farm protesters

Approval to withdraw the case, filed after violence at Red Fort on Republic Day last year, has also been given.

During the farmer protests, hundreds of protesters had deviated from the route set by the leaders and Delhi Police collectively for a Republic Day march. Some of them had reached the Red Fort, where ticket counters, door frame metal detectors and baggage scanners at the monument were damaged.

According to the official, the file was sent by the L-G office to Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain on January 31.

“The file was approved by Jain and sent to the CM’s office on February 25. The CMO sent the file to the L-G office on February 28 and the LG approved it on the same day,” the official said.

The Delhi Police had stated last week that they had approached the L-G office regarding the cases.

Addressing the Delhi Police’s annual press briefing at the police headquarters, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had said 54 cases were registered by the Delhi Police, and they had filed chargesheets in five. Another five cases were marked as ‘untraced’, while 44 cases were under investigation. “We have also written to the L-G’s office, requesting them to withdraw 17 cases,” he had said.

Officials said that most of the cases that are being withdrawn were registered for violating Covid norms.

Once the three farm laws were withdrawn last year, the Centre also agreed to the demand of withdrawing the cases.

Sources in the L-G office, however, questioned why the Delhi government had taken a month to approve the withdrawal of cases. “The Delhi Police sent the file to the L-G house on January 29. The L-G House sent it to the Home Department on January 31. For one month, the file remained pending with the Delhi Government. As soon as they sent it back to the L-G on February 28, it was approved,” the official said.