Plea in HC for early hearing on petition relating to violence at Jamia over CAA

New Delhi: A plea was filed in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday for early hearing on a petition seeking setting up of a judicial commission to inquire into the December 2019 violence of Jamia Millia Islamia University protests against the Citizenship (amendment) Act (CAA).
The application for early hearing is listed on May 8.

Earlier the high court had fixed for July, the hearing on the main petition, in which notices were issued to the Centre, AAP Government and Delhi Police.

The fresh application was filed in the pending petition by advocate and petitioner Nabila Hasan in which she has sought action against the police for brutally attacking the petitioners, students and residents of Jamia Millia Islamia.

The petition has highlighted the alleged ruthlessness, and excessive use of force and aggression unleashed by police and paramilitary forces on students within the university.

The plea, filed through advocates Sneha Mukherjee and Siddharth Seem, said the government imposed complete lockdown across the country on March 24 due to the spread of coronavirus during which movement of people is restricted but several students from the university have been called to the police station and crime branch.

It said students are made to sit there for hours in the name of investigation by the police and "the harassment of the students at the hand of the Delhi Police has not stopped even with the current situations in the country"

Besides the present petition in which an application has been filed for early hearing, various other petitions were also filed, including by lawyers, students of JMI, residents of Okhla where the university is located and the Imam of Jama Masjid mosque opposite Parliament House, and they sought action including medical treatment and compensation for the students and registration of FIRs against the erring police officers. SKV HMP RKS RKS RKS