New Delhi: A court hearing a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 on the prosecution on Friday for causing adjournment because of its “deliberate inaction”.
The court was hearing arguments on the point of charge against three accused for various offences, including rioting.
“For causing adjournment for today out of deliberate inaction, a cost of Rs 5,000 is imposed upon the prosecution…,” Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala said.
The court said that during the hearing of the case, the special public prosecutor (SPP) sought pass-over twice on the grounds that the investigating officer was on his way to court.
When the court called for the third time, the SPP said no one had appeared from the Gokulpuri police station and the mobile phone of the IO was switched off, it said.
The court noted that in the present case, the IO and the Station House Officer concerned had taken adjournment and time for filing a supplementary charge sheet along with a fresh site plan to show the route taken by the mob, which was allegedly behind the incidents of rioting being investigated.
The plea seeking adjournment was being taken since July 23, 2022, and was also made on the last date of hearing on September 21, the court said.
“The court had been giving time to the IO leniently, so as to do the needful, but in vain and at the same time, I cannot leave it at the mercy of the SHO or the IO, to do the needful as per the requirement of the case,” the judge said.
The judge then referred the matter to the deputy commissioner of police, northeast district, to ensure the filing of the supplementary charge sheet on the proper site plan under his supervision on the next date of hearing on December 15.
“Copy of this order be sent to the DCP for compliance, with the request to make an inquiry to fix accountability of such lapse, if any, and to recover the amount of cost, so that the public exchequer is not burdened,” the court said.
