NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked petitioners seeking an inquiry into alleged police excesses on students agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to move the concerned High Courts and refused to entertain any plea.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde said, “It will be better if students aggrieved by police action during protests against the CAA move the concerned High Courts. Chief Justices of High Courts, I am sure, will respond adequately.”
Turning down the request by senior advocate Indira Jaising, the bench said, “A one-man inquiry commission can't be set up for fact-finding as acts of violence have taken place at various places in different states.”
However, Jaising urged that this court should find a 'peacekeeping measure'.
To this, the CJI suggested, “We will ask the concerned High Courts who will arrive at the right conclusion.”
Jaising further requested the bench that, “No arrest should be done against students.”
Mehmood Pracha, appearing for the Jamia alumni association, urged the court to intervene in the matter but the CJI responded, “Don't treat us as the trial court.”
The bench also refused to acknowledge the Jamia VC statement issued on Monday which was mentioned by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves who too was seeking the court’s intervention in the case.
Gonsalves told the bench, “We are getting a very disturbing picture from AMU that 40-50 students have been injured. We are seeking an inquiry from a retired Supreme Court judge.”
Countering the petitioners, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that not a single student has been arrested by police for agitating against the CAA.
“Over 20 cars and 4-wheelers have been set on fire. 67 people were injured including students and other miscreants. 31 police personnel were injured but no student was arrested,” Mehta told the court, adding that proper medical attention was being provided to all the students.