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2020 Northeast Delhi riots: HC seeks status of police probe against politicians over hate speech

A division bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain, dealing with a bunch of pleas seeking independent probe into hate speeches by politicians and action against erring police personnel, will now be heard on November 21.

2020 Northeast Delhi riots: HC seeks status of police probe against politicians over hate speechExcel Entertainment on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that it has credited all 120 soldiers of the 13 Kumaon Regiment

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought details from the Delhi Police of the status of investigation into the FIRs registered against politicians over alleged hate speeches in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots case.

A division bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain, dealing with a bunch of pleas seeking independent probe into hate speeches by politicians and action against erring police personnel, will now be heard on November 21.

The petitions filed in 2020 include those filed by former Rajya Sabha member and CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat; socio-religious organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind; a registered society co-founded by now sitting HC judge Justice Ajay Digpaul, Lawyers’ Voice; a Delhi resident Ajay Gautam. On Tuesday, the bench orally remarked: “FIRs have already been registered. The police are already investigating. Nothing remains.”

While one of the counsels submitted that the police probe had not been fair, Justice Chaudhary remarked, “You challenge it before the magistrate…These are questions of fact. We cannot entertain questions of facts in writs….In the last six to seven years, despite there being an alternate remedy, you have not availed…The petitions are pending for so long without any reason.”

In December 2021, the SC had asked the high court to decide expeditiously, preferably within three months, one of the petitions seeking FIR and investigation against politicians.

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. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

 

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