The Delhi High Court on Friday expressed displeasure over Delhi Police leaking a supplementary charge sheet filed in a case related to the North-East Delhi riots before cognizance is taken by the court concerned.
Justice Mukta Gupta asked the Commissioner of Police of Delhi to assign the responsibility of giving an affidavit on the person instrument in leaking information to the media.
‘Charge proved’
This is a proven allegation after appearing in the media. It is no longer an allegation. You have to find out who has done this, ”the High Court said.
The Delhi Police counsel, however, said that the contents of the supplementary charge sheet were not leaked to the media by the police.
The High Court held that the document was an asset in the hands of the police and “if your officer has leaked it, it is an abuse of power.” If it was entrusted to someone else, for approval, it is a criminal breach of trust. If the media has snatched it then it is theft. Therefore in any situation, a crime is made. “
The court made this remark while hearing the plea of Asif Iqbal Tanha, a student of Jamia Millia Islamia, who was arrested in connection with the North-East Delhi riots, accusing the Delhi Police of leaking his confidential statement to the media .
Advocate Siddharth Aggarwal, representing Mr. Tanha, said that a part of the supplementary charge sheet was one day after it was filed before a trial court with the media.
The High Court posted the matter for further hearing on 25 March.
On the previous hearing, the High Court had expressed dissatisfaction over the vigilance inquiry report of the Delhi Police on the charge of leaking Mr Tanha’s confessional statement to the media.
Justice Gupta had said, “This vigilance inquiry is worse than what they do in a simple investigation into a bad theft case.”
Mr Tanha was arrested in May last year for being part of a “pre-determined conspiracy” in the riots.
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