Delhi violence: SC asks HC to hear plea on March 6, says long adjournment ‘not justified’

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court asked the Delhi High Court on Wednesday to hear on March 6 a plea seeking lodging of FIRs against some BJP leaders for alleged hate speeches which purportedly led to recent riots here and said it may also explore the possibility of “peaceful resolution” of the dispute”.

The apex court, which said it “wants to see if peace is possible”, observed that adjournment of hearing by the high court for “such a long period” in April on separate petitions related to the violence in northeast Delhi was not “justified” and such matters should not be delayed for long.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde requested the chief justice of the high court to dispose of these matters “as expeditiously as possible” on their own merits and in accordance with law and also prepone the hearing on other related pleas.

The bench, also comprising justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, directed that the hearing on other connected matters along with all the applications for impleadment and intervention on the issue, which have been adjourned to a later date by high court, may be advanced and be taken up on March 6.

The bench passed the order while hearing a plea filed by 10 riots victims seeking registration of FIRs against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma and other