NEW DELHI: The city police on Monday told the Delhi High Court that CCTV footage of the violence that broke out in Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University following protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in December 2019 was collected well in time and preserved, and forms part of the record of two criminal cases lodged in connection with the incident.
In an affidavit filed before the high court, Delhi Police also opposed a prayer for monetary compensation to those allegedly detained or injured by the police and paramilitary forces, saying the NHRC has, after a thorough and detailed enquiry, already recommended to the Delhi government to provide suitable compensation to the injured students.
The police said seeking compensation again in relation to the same event was an attempt to abuse the equity jurisdiction of the high court and the plea should be rejected with exemplary cost. “It is submitted that as evident from the aforesaid direction passed by NHRC, the Chief Secretary, GNCT Delhi, was directed to provide suitable compensation to persons who have received grievous injuries.
It is submitted that the details of the compensation supplied by GNCTD are presently not available with the respondent Delhi Police and efforts to get the same from GNCTD are being made,” said the affidavit filed in response to a petition alleging police atrocities on students inside the campus on the day of the violence.
In relation to the December 2019 incident, several petitions are pending before the high court seeking directions for setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), Commission of Inquiry (CoI) or a fact-finding committee, medical treatment, grant of compensation and registration of FIRs against the erring police officers.
The petitioners before the court are lawyers, students of JMI, residents of Okhla in south Delhi, where the university is located, and the Imam of Jama Masjid mosque opposite Parliament House.
A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh listed the matter for final hearing on July 13.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for one of the petitioners, said the matter should be kept for final disposal now. She had earlier argued that the force used by the police in the present instance was ‘wholly disproportionate to the alleged public good’ and urged the court to constitute a fact-finding committee comprising former judges to ascertain the ‘authentic’ events for granting further relief.
The fresh affidavit filed in the matter said CCTV footage from 13 different locations in New Friends Colony as well as four locations inside and outside the university --including two libraries that were the scene of alleged vandalism, were collected in connection with different cases related to the violence.
“The CCTV footage available in the area of PS New Friends Colony and PS Jamia Nagar, New Delhi was collected well in time and the same forms part of the case file in the above two FIRs and is thus duly preserved,” it said.
Cops oppose prayer for compensation
Delhi Police opposed a prayer for monetary compensation to those allegedly detained or injured by police and paramilitary forces, saying the NHRC has, after a thorough and detailed enquiry, already recommended to the Delhi government to provide suitable compensation to the injured students.