NEW DELHI: The Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday stayed a magisterial directive calling for further investigation into law minister Kapil Mishra’s alleged involvement in the February 2020 riots in the national capital, granting him relief till April 21.
This comes after Mishra on Wednesday approached the sessions court challenging the magisterial order directing further investigation against him for his alleged role in 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja issued stay on the lower court’s decision directing the Delhi Police to reopen the probe against Mishara based on a complaint by Mohammad Ilyas.
The court also served a notice to the petitioner Ilyas, and sought a response by April 21.
On April 1, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia had observed that there appeared to be a prima facie cognisable offence necessitating additional inquiry. “It is evident that Mishra was present in the area during the period in question… a further investigation is warranted,” the magistrate noted in his order.
The Delhi Police, however, contested Ilyas’ request, maintaining that Mishra bore no responsibility for the outbreak of violence. The force reiterated that Mishra’s actions had already been scrutinised as part of the broader conspiracy probe into the riots.
According to police submissions, internal communications from the Delhi Protest Support Group suggested that the road blockades – chakka jams – had been premeditated, with planning documented as early as February 15 and 17, 2020. “The probe revealed that attempts were made to falsely attribute blame to Mishra,” police said.
Unrest erupted in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, amid clashes over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The violence claimed 53 lives and left many injured.
In addition to Mishra, the complaint by Ilyas had named BJP MLA Mohan Singh Bisht, former BJP legislators Jagdish Pradhan and Satpal Sansad, and the then-Station House Officer of Dayalpur, among others, seeking registration of an FIR against them.
On Tuesday, Mishra asserted that his controversial 2020 tweets targeted political adversaries and not any religious or linguistic community.
Mishra’s defence counsel argued during the charge-framing stage that the posts made on his official X account in January 2020 were solely directed at rival parties, the Congress and AAP, during the Delhi Assembly elections.