Delhi violence: HC asks cops for report on rehabilitation

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court asked the police on Monday to file a status report on measures taken by it for medical treatment and rehabilitation of violence-affected people in northeast Delhi.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar directed the Delhi Police to submit a report on the measures taken by them in compliance with the court’s February 26 order by which certain directions were made for rehabilitation of victims. The court listed the matter for further hearing on April 30.

Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra informed the court about the rumours spread on Sunday evening about riots breaking out in other areas of the national capital and added that the police was doing a good job in tackling such rumours.

He also informed the court that the existing number of helplines are still not adequate to deal with the sheer number of calls that are being made by the victims.

The court was hearing a plea by Rahul Roy seeking urgent orders for safe passage of ambulances for injured and rehabilitation of violence-affected people.

At least 42 people died and more than 200 were injured during the communal violence in northeast Delhi related to Citizenship

(Amendment) Act.

Advocate Suroor Mander, representing the petitioner, told the court that most amount of rehabilitation measures are being carried out by the community itself.

Citing the February 26 order, she said there are still major gaps, like setting of relief camps and sought court’s direction for the government to take over the rehabilitation measures such as setting up of relief camps.

During the hearing, Mehra submitted that advocate Zubeda Begum, who was appointed as amicus curiae by the court to coordinate between the victims and various agencies, has done a commendable job and sought for expanding mandate of her work.

He also submitted that a legal service authority desk be put up in every police station here.

The court had on the intervening night of February 25-26 conducted a special hearing at the residence of Justice S Muralidhar after receiving a call from the advocate explaining the dire circumstances wherein it was not possible to move the violence hit victims from a small hospital to the GTB Hospital.

The court had then directed the police to ensure safe passage for the injured to government hospitals and providing emergency treatment for them.