This is an archive article published on November 14, 2024
Northeast Delhi riots: HC seeks police response in activist Devangana Kalita’s plea seeking preservation of case diaries after alleging tampering
Devangana Kalita and others have been accused of organising an anti-CAA protest and road blockade near the Jafrabad Metro Station in Delhi in February 2020.
Kalita sought to set aside JMFC order from November 6, where the court refused to delve into allegations by Kalita of tampering and antedating CrPC Section 161 statements. (File Photo)
The Delhi High Court Thursday issued notice to the state in a plea by activist Devangana Kalita, one of the accused in the larger conspiracy case in the Northeast Delhi riots in 2020, who is seeking preservation and reconstruction of the case diary in connection with a probe by the police.
The case diary pertains to the probe that stems from an FIR lodged at the Jafrabad Police Station in February 2020.
Kalita, in her plea before the High Court, is seeking setting aside of a judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) order of Shahdara, Karkardooma, court in Delhi from November 6, where the court refused to delve into allegations by Kalita of tampering and antedating Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) Section 161 statements (examination of witnesses by police) which were part of the case diary and filed with the main as well as supplementary chargesheets in the case.
Through her counsel Adit Pujari, Kalita first raised the allegations of record tampering before the magistrate court and sought that the court secure the complete booklet pertaining to the relevant case diaries. The prosecution objected to it and said calling for the booklets would delay the matter. The JMFC court opined that while the allegations “raise suspicion on the version of the investigation agency” and “while there may be merits” in the allegations raised by Kalita, it ruled it “cannot go into the truthfulness and veracity of the allegations.”
The magistrate court further recorded that the issue raised pertains to procedural aspect and that CrPC Section 161 statements are “not even substantive pieces of evidence,” and ruled that there was “no requirement” of calling for the booklets.
Challenging the magistrate’s order now before the Delhi High Court, Advocate Pujari Thursday submitted before Justice Jasmeet Singh that it is a “very very sorry state of affairs”, and Kalita is seeking reconstruction and preservation of the case diary. Pujari added, “The police have clearly antedated case diaries.”
While refusing to grant any ex-parte relief by directing for the reconstruction and preservation of the case diary immediately, Justice Singh issued notice to the prosecution and directed it to file its status report within a week.
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The court kept the matter for further consideration on November 25.
The anti-CAA protests and counter-protests
Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra at a pro-CAA rally in Maujpur prior to the riot. (File Photo)
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra at a pro-CAA rally in Maujpur prior to the riot. (File Photo)