NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday stayed, until April 21, an order directing further investigation against Law Minister Kapil Mishra in a case related to the February 2020 riots.
The stay was granted by Special Judge Kaveri Baweja after Mishra challenged the April 1 order of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Vaibhav Chaurasia. The magistrate had noted that Mishra was present in the Kardampuri area at the time of the alleged offence and that a cognisable offence was “prima facie” made out, requiring further probe.
The court also issued notice to the complainant, Mohammad Ilyas—on whose plea the magistrate had ordered registration of an FIR—and asked him to respond by April 21. It also called for records from the ACJM’s court for the next hearing. Senior advocate P. K. Dubey, appearing for Mishra, argued that the magistrate’s order overstepped the jurisdiction of the special court already dealing with the matter. He claimed the proceedings were harming Mishra’s reputation and called for immediate relief.
Delhi Police, supporting Mishra’s petition, also urged the court to set aside the magistrate’s order. The police said Mishra’s alleged role in the violence had been thoroughly investigated and no involvement was found. They argued the riots were planned earlier by the Delhi Protest Support Group and that efforts were being made to wrongly implicate Mishra.
The complaint accused Mishra and others, with alleged police support, of blocking a road and vandalising vehicles in Kardampuri on February 23, 2020, shortly after the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).