The Delhi High Court on its own motion has taken up a case of vandalism property of members of the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA). The court on Wednesday (March 7) directed that the respondents (Commissioner Of Police; State of NCT of Delhi and Ors) shall submit the report of its preliminary enquiry within two weeks.
The court has said: “Three incidents of serious violence had taken place against the life and property of members of the bar. The first of these incidents occurred on the night intervening January 3 and 4, at about1.23 am when two vehicles parked in the courtyard of the residence of Ravi Sharma, advocate were deliberately burnt. Thereafter, similar incidents have taken place at the residences of Kirti Uppal, senior advocate and president of the Delhi High Court Bar Association and Vikas Pahwa, senior advocate and designated senior member executive of the Delhi High Court Bar Association.
“FIRs in both these incidents have been registered and senior officials including the Commissioner of Police, Delhi have been informed about the attack as well as the apprehensions that the object of the attack was to browbeat the senior advocates/ counsels to dissuade them from appearing in the case of their colleague advocate.
“We appoint Dayan Krishnan, senior advocate as amicus curiae. We also appoint Siddharth Aggarwal, advocate who shall assist Krishnan in this matter.
At the last date of hearing, on February 22, a sealed report was submitted by the counsel of the respondents and the same is attached in court file. It was submitted that investigation in undergoing and the status reports must be submitted soon against the three FIRs which are of the same nature.
On Wednesday the government’s standing counsel Rahul Mehra handed over the status report in a sealed cover.
He said: “We have done the investigation with the utmost faith and with best scientific efforts. Our endeavour is to solve this case. We are not shielding anybody. If you find anything irrelevant please refer it to the CBI.”
He said that the CCTV footage has been sent to to the CFSL. Footage from the residence of Kirti Utpal cannot be used as a 12 megapixel camera is required, but this camera is of 7 megapixel.
“The pattern for the crime is the same. There are three such complaints, out of which we received one onJanuary 29. We are still investigating those complaints,” said the counsel.
The court said that certain points have been pointed out by the petitioners senior advocte Hari Haran and Vikas Pawah which show the different aspects of the investigation.
Let it be complete in that way.
The matter has been adjourned to April 3.
-India Legal Bureau