HC constitutes four dedicated courts for trial of Delhi riots cases

Delhi High Court has designated four judges of Karkardooma courts to hear cases related to the communal violence and riots in Northeast Delhi and Shahdara district in the national capital in February this year.

Delhi High Court, in two public notices, said that Additional Sessions Judge of North East and Additional Sessions Judge of Shahdara in Karkardooma Courts Complex are designated as courts for trial of Delhi violence cases.

The notice said that the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates (CMM) of North East and Shahdara in Karkardooma Courts Complex are designated as courts for trial of recent communal violence and riot cases registered in North-East Delhi and Shahdara districts respectively.

It also transferred five Sessions judges and four magistrates from one district court to another.

"The judicial officers shall be under the control of the District and Sessions Judge of the district to which they have been allocated," the notice issued on Monday said.

CMM Purshotam Pathak of Patiala House Court has been transferred as CMM of Northeast Delhi, and Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) in Tis Hazari Court, Fahad Uddin, has been transferred as MM of Shahdara in Karkardooma Court Complex. They will be hearing the Delhi violence cases.

Rohini Court's Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav has also been transferred as ASJ North-East Delhi, and Saket Court's ASJ Amitabh Rawat as ASJ Shahdara to hear the cases.

"The District and Sessions Judge, North-East District shall allocate all the sessions triable riot cases to the Court of ASJ-3 in the district and shall withdraw all other cases (except ADA/ POTA/ MCOCA cases and cases which are at the stage of final arguments) from the court of ASJ-3 and shall redistribute the same among other Courts of similar jurisdiction in the district while ensuring equal pendency," the notice issued by Registrar General Manoj Jain said.

"The District and Sessions Judge, Shahdara shall allocate all the sessions triable riot cases to the Court of ASJ-3 in the district and shall withdraw all other cases (except TADA/ POTA/ MCOCA cases, cases which are at the stage of final arguments and appeals and revisions) from the Court of ASJ-3 and shall redistribute the same among other courts of similar jurisdiction in the district while ensuring equal pendency," it added.

This comes as Delhi Police has filed several chargesheets in Delhi courts in connection with the cases related to the violence that ensued in the national capital in February this year, in which at least 53 people lost their lives.

( With inputs from ANI )