New Delhi, Nov 26th : .The Delhi High Court granted more time Friday to the Centre (LG) and Delhi Lieutenant Governor (CM) to respond to an AAP-led Delhi government’s request for more time.
This was in response to a challenge by the Delhi government to the decision to allow Delhi police lawyers to argue as Special Public Prosecutors.These cases relate to this year’s Republic Day violence, and last year’s riots in north-east Delhi. A bench presided by Chief Justice D.N.Justice Jyoti Singh and Justice Patel adjourned the matter to a new hearing on January 22, 2022.
Rahul Mehra and Abhishek Singhvi, senior counsels representing the Aam Aadmi Party government, requested that the court direct the respondents to file an urgent response.
According to the petition of the city government, the July 23 orders by the LG invoked Article 239AA(4) to refer to President the matter regarding the appointment of Delhi Police’s chosen advocates to be SPPs in cases relating to the farmers’ agitation in north-east Delhi and the February 2020 riots.
The Delhi Police has chosen the appointments and they have a serious conflict in interest.
The plea stated that the Court should give directions to the Court for regular public prosecutors so that fair trials in the cases are not endangered.
In the present case, neither LG nor the Delhi Police have any complaints against the regular public prosecutors’ work in the handling of cases related to the northeast Delhi riots and farmers’ agitation.
The lack of sufficient public prosecutors does not cause delays in cases.The plea stated that there was no reason for the Delhi police not to request the appointment of SPPs and LGs to approve the cases.
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