Delhi HC dismisses pleas seeking SIT probe into 2020 riots, Jamia violence

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a batch of petitions seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the 2020 northeast Delhi riots and the 2019 violence at Jamia Millia Islamia following protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

A bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain said all the petitions were being dismissed “for the reasons mentioned in the judgment”.

While pronouncing the verdict, the bench said the batch had been divided into two parts, one concerning the northeast Delhi riots and the other related to the Jamia Millia violence. A detailed judgment is awaited.


The court had reserved its verdict on the petitions on July 24.

In the northeast Delhi riots case, the petitions sought directions for setting up an SIT, commission of inquiry or fact-finding committee. The pleas also sought medical treatment, compensation and registration of FIRs against police officers allegedly responsible for lapses.

Some petitions also sought action against political leaders over alleged hate speeches and called for an SIT to investigate the violence and FIRs against police officers.

Communal violence broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, amid protests against the citizenship law. At least 53 people were killed and around 700 injured.

The other petitions concerned the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia following anti-CAA protests in December 2019.

The petitioners argued that an independent SIT, separate from the police and the central government, was needed to investigate alleged police brutalities against students.

(With PTI inputs)