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Court sets aside order directing police to probe BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s role in 2020 Delhi riots

A Sessions court in the National Capital on Monday set aside an order passed by a Magistrate court to investigate Delhi Law and Justice Minister and BJP leader Kapil Mishra over his alleged role in the 2020 riots in Northeast Delhi. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Court was hearing a revision petition […]

On April 1 this year, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia of Rouse Avenue Court had directed further investigation against Mishra while hearing an application filed by a complainant, Mohammad Ilyas.On April 1 this year, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia of Rouse Avenue Court had directed further investigation against Mishra while hearing an application filed by a complainant, Mohammad Ilyas. (Image: @KapilMishra_IND/X)

A Sessions court in the National Capital on Monday set aside an order passed by a Magistrate court to investigate Delhi Law and Justice Minister and BJP leader Kapil Mishra over his alleged role in the 2020 riots in Northeast Delhi.

Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Court was hearing a revision petition filed by Mishra against the order, which had directed further investigation into his alleged role in the riots which had rocked NE Delhi between February 24 and 26, 2020, leaving 53 people dead and over 500 injured.

On April 1 this year, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia of Rouse Avenue Court had directed further investigation against Mishra while hearing an application filed by a complainant, Mohammad Ilyas.

Ilyas had sought an FIR against Mishra as well as the then Station House Officer (SHO) of Dayalpur police station and five others, including BJP leaders Mohan Singh Bisht and Jagdish Pradhan.

A week after this, the Sessions court had stayed the directions after Mishra approached it.

The Delhi Police Special Cell, represented by Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad, had argued before the court that the magistrate court that ordered further investigation lacked the jurisdiction to do so.

SPP Prasad had told the court that Mishra’s alleged role in the riots had been investigated and he was not responsible for their orchestration. He had also said that nothing incriminating was found against him.

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Ilyas, a resident of Yamuna Vihar, had alleged in his complaint that he saw Mishra and others blocking a road in Northeast Delhi’s Kardam puri and destroying vendors’ carts. He had also claimed that the then deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Northeast Delhi, was standing next to Mishra along with other police personnel and warning the protestors to vacate the area or face consequences.

Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.  2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More

 

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