Delhi High Court Rejects Pleas Seeking FIRs Against Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Verma Over 2020 Riots

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a batch of petitions seeking registration of FIRs against several political leaders over alleged hate speeches linked to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. Among those named in the petitions were BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and Anurag Thakur.

A division bench comprising Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain rejected the petitions, which had been pending since 2020. The pleas had sought criminal action against political figures whose speeches were alleged to have contributed to the violence during protests surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

What Were the Petitions About?

The petitions were filed in the aftermath of the Northeast Delhi violence and sought directions for the registration of FIRs against multiple political leaders. One of the pleas specifically named Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma, alleging that statements made during the period of the CAA-NRC protests had contributed to the unrest.

Other petitions sought action against leaders from different political parties, including Congress, AAP and AIMIM. The overall proceedings therefore covered a broad set of allegations concerning political speeches and their alleged connection with the violence.

The 2020 riots in Northeast Delhi resulted in more than 50 deaths and widespread disruption. The petitions sought to establish whether speeches delivered during the period preceding the violence warranted criminal investigation.

Court Also Rejects Demand for SIT Probe

The High Court's ruling was not limited to the requests for FIRs against politicians. The bench also dismissed petitions seeking an independent Special Investigation Team, or SIT, investigation into alleged police excesses during the 2019 violence at Jamia Millia Islamia.

The Jamia-related petitions concerned violence during protests against the CAA and allegations of police misconduct. Petitioners had sought a separate investigation rather than relying solely on the existing investigative process. The court rejected those requests along with the other petitions.

The detailed written judgment is awaited, meaning the full reasoning behind the court's decision will provide further clarity on the legal basis for dismissing the petitions.

Long-Running Legal Dispute Comes to a Close

The petitions had remained before the Delhi High Court for several years. Earlier proceedings over the alleged speeches had generated considerable legal and political attention, particularly because of questions surrounding whether police should register FIRs against political figures.

The latest order brings the specific batch of petitions to an end at the High Court level. It does not amount to a judicial finding that every allegation surrounding the 2020 violence was factually established or disproved; rather, the court has dismissed the particular requests placed before it.

The decision is likely to remain politically significant because the alleged speeches, the handling of the protests and the subsequent violence have remained contentious issues in Delhi's political discourse.

For now, the Delhi High Court's order means that the requested FIRs against the named political leaders will not be registered as a result of these petitions, while the court-monitored SIT investigation sought in the separate Jamia matter has also been rejected.