Story perspectives

Delhi High Court rejects probe into 2020 riots petitions

By Drooid · Oct 5, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Delhi High Court Dismisses

Delhi High Court dismissed all 15 petitions seeking a Special Investigation Team probe into the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
The court also refused FIR petitions targeting Congress, AAP and other politicians linked to the riots.
Delhi Police opposed moving the Jamia Millia investigation, saying it preserved CCTV footage from campus and New Friends Colony.

Summary

Cockroach Janta Party Protests

Cockroach Janta Party staged nationwide protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign.
Thousands gathered at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park and Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 2, 2026.
Delhi police detained about 700 protesters, including opposition leaders and student activists.
Special Intensive Revision removed roughly 13.3 crore voters, prompting vote-theft accusations.
Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded 14 objections to SIR decisions over ten months.

Summary

Delhi Police Transfer

Delhi Police transferred three journalists’ sexual-harassment complaints to the Crime Branch at Kamla Market.
Assistant Commissioner Vivek Bhagat was accused of assaulting a female journalist while she recorded detentions.
Activists camped overnight outside Parliament Street police station demanding an FIR on the harassment case.
Press Council of India condemned the alleged police misconduct as unacceptable for a democracy.

History

Historical Context

The 2002 Gujarat riots, which erupted in February 2002, resulted in over 1,000 deaths and sparked nationwide legal scrutiny. The Supreme Court appointed a Special Investigation Team that filed 45 FIRs, and the central government allocated INR1.5 billion for relief. Today, Delhi High Court dismissed all 15 petitions seeking a SIT probe into the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, while police retained Jamia Millia CCTV footage. Consequently, the Cockroach Janta Party staged October 2, 2026 protests at Shivaji Park and Jantar Mantar, and the Press Council of India condemned police harassment, underscoring fragile democratic safeguards.

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Delhi High Court Dismisses

Delhi High Court dismissed all 15 petitions seeking a Special Investigation Team probe into the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
The court also refused FIR petitions targeting Congress, AAP and other politicians linked to the riots.
Delhi Police opposed moving the Jamia Millia investigation, saying it preserved CCTV footage from campus and New Friends Colony.

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