Take all permissible actions to ensure peaceful and dignified Eid in Uttam Nagar, Delhi High Court tells police, Govt
APCR, civil rights group that moved court, says police did not act against people who had gathered in park and ‘called for murder’; HC tells police to be ‘extra cautious’
4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 19, 2026 08:10 PM IST
The police bandobast should provide “an assurance of safety and security to all”, and it should be ensured that “no one from any section of society plays mischief having the potential of creating any untoward situation”, the court directed. (File Photo)
The Delhi High Court on Thursday (March 19) directed the police and civil administration “to take all required action permissible under law” to ensure that the situation in Uttam Nagar “does not take any ugly turn”, and that “an atmosphere is created of peaceful and dignified celebration of Eid”.
The police bandobast should provide “an assurance of safety and security to all”, and it should be ensured that “no one from any section of society plays mischief having the potential of creating any untoward situation”, the court directed.
Right-wing Hindu groups who have been active both in the area and on social media have been calling for a “Khoon ki Holi on Eid” in Uttam Nagar’s Hastsal Colony to avenge 26-year-old Tarun Kumar who was beaten to death during a quarrel with his Muslim neighbours over a child’s water balloon that hit a Muslim woman on Holi.
Civil rights advocacy Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) moved the High Court on Wednesday, seeking intervention against the calls for violence and hate speech “against a particular community”.
The Centre told a Division Bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia on Thursday that the Delhi Police had handled the law and order situation in Uttam Nagar “very dexterously and ably” handled the law and order situation in Uttam Nagar ahead of Eid.
Four hundred central armed police forces (CAPF) personnel and an equal number of district police personnel had been proactively stationed in the area since March 5, the Delhi Police told the court.
Senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, who appeared for APCR, however, informed the court that on March 15, “people [had] gathered in a park…and called for murder”.
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“What were the police doing? People from Dehradun came and gathered… People come to the park and call for [violent] action, and they (Delhi Police) can’t take action against open calls for violence?” she asked.
Relying on the Supreme Court’s order in Shaheen Abdulla vs Union of India, counsel for APCR argued that the state is required to take suo motu action against hate speech and register an FIR without waiting for a formal complaint.
“There are 140 [communal or violent] claims [regarding Uttam Nagar] on social media. It is not just about [deploying CAPF] companies, it is more. It is a bigger deterrent, taking action against what has already happened…,” Ramakrishnan said.
“People have called for bloodbath. [The] Meeting [of March 15] has occurred in full presence of police; this force by itself does not assure [us]…,” she said.
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The HC recorded that police have taken several preventive measures; however, “if on assessment of situation if any need arises to strengthen the measures, such action may also be taken forthwith”.
The police must be “extra cautious” to ensure that no section of society plays mischief that may lead to an untoward situation, the court said.
“Eid is celebrated to rejoice. It is the duty of all concerned to ensure that on such a pious occasion public life is not disrupted by any kind of untoward incident involving any sort of vandalism or hooliganism on the part of any single individual or any sections of the society…,” the court said.
To the standing counsel (criminal) of the Delhi government Sanjay Lao, who appeared for Delhi Police, and ASG Chetan Sharma, who appeared for the Centre, Chief Justice Upadhyaya said orally: “Mr Sharma and Mr Lao, instruct your authorities not to be lax in any manner because whatever happens in Delhi has its own ripple…”
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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