NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday adjourned hearing on a batch of petitions pertaining to communal riots in the national capital. The high court bench comprising Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Hari Shankar will deliver its judgment on the petitions at the next date of hearing on March 20.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought more time to modify its response to the petitions.
The bench granted his request. The court also asked the Delhi government and police commissioner to respond to a separate plea, seeking action against interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Muslim leader Waris Pathan and BJP’s Kapil Mishra, among other leaders, for allegedly giving hate speeches in the run-up to the communal violence and arson.
The petition had also sought the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and an assessment of the damage to public property before issuing an order to attach and sell the properties of the leaders in question and distribute the money, raised thus, among the riot-hit in the interest of justice.The hearing followed the Supreme Court’s order, asking the Delhi HC to hear the plea seeking registration of FIRs against politicians for alleged hate speech. One of the petitions sought direction on the immediate filing of FIRs against Mishra, Thakur, Verma and others for their alleged hate speeches, which, it claimed, resulted in rioting, murder and arson.
Response sought
The high court also asked the Delhi govt and the police commissionmer to respond to a separate plea, seeking action against top leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Kapil Mishra, for ‘hate speeches’.