'Don't Be Lax': Court To Cops On Violence Threats In Delhi Ahead Of Eid

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the state government and police over law-and-order concerns in Uttam Nagar, asking authorities "not to be lax" and to maintain strict vigilance in the area till Ram Navami.

Hearing a plea flagging tensions ahead of Eid, the court stressed that "whatever happens in Delhi has a ripple effect on the entire country". It directed the police to ensure peace and restraint across communities.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia took up an urgent hearing after Senior Advocate Nitya Ramkrishnan made the mention before them yesterday.

"There are wide-ranging threats of violence on Eid. On social media, meetings have gathered saying 'khoon ki holi hum Eid pe khelenge'. We went to the police, but the police have not taken any action. We fear serious violence during Eid. We want urgent directions to the police. Please look at the kind of threats being issued," said Ramkrishnan.

The bench refused the Delhi Police's request to dispose of the matter and posted the next hearing for April 6.

Constant Vigil Needed

Expressing concern about the situation in Uttam Nagar, the court said it required "constant vigil" and directed both the police and civil administration to take all necessary steps to prevent any untoward incident.

The court took on record the submissions by the standing counsel of the Delhi government that since March 5 itself, adequate police arrangements have been made, which are in place on a round-the-clock basis not only in JJ colony, where the incident occurred, but also in the surrounding areas in Dwarka district.

"He has stated further that eight companies of police personnel have been deployed in all 11 police stations of Dwarka district. It is also stated that four companies comprising 400 police personnel are on vigil... deployed to ensure law and order situation along with 400 armed personnel (CAPF) of district force," the court noted.

The court was also informed that monitoring of social media is being done on various platforms, and on the directions of police, 50 inflammatory posts have been taken down, and requests have been made to various platforms to take down 174 posts.

It was also informed that the police have undertaken an intensive verification program, and antecedents of 8,862 persons in the area have been checked. According to the police, Aman Committee meetings have also been organised at police station and district levels.

The High Court said the police are expected to ensure that "all sections of society maintain restraint," particularly in light of a previous incident reported on Holi (March 4).

'Ensure Peaceful Eid'

The court underlined that Eid is a festival of joy and must not be disrupted by any form of hooliganism.

"Eid is celebrated to rejoice. It is the duty of all concerned to ensure that on such a pious occasion, public life is not disrupted by any untoward incident involving hooliganism by any individual or any section of society," the court observed.

It added that while several preventive steps have already been taken, authorities must be ready to strengthen security arrangements if the situation demands.

"Police may take whatever steps are required to ensure peace on Eid," the bench said.

Petitioners Raise Concerns

Petitioners alleged that open calls for violence were made against Muslims and that adequate police action had not been taken. One of the petitioners claimed that on March 15, a gathering in a park included calls to assemble and target members of the Muslim community.

The court, however, cautioned petitioners against making statements that could escalate tensions. "We would request you to restrain... We cannot say authorities are not aware of the situation. Please do not flare up the situation," the bench told the petitioners.

Focus On Prevention

The High Court made it clear that its immediate concern is to prevent any incident during Eid, rather than delve into broader legal issues at this stage.

"The immediate concern is to prevent any such incident. Authorities must maintain law and order," the court said, noting that police are expected to act based on intelligence inputs.

The court directed authorities to create an atmosphere conducive to peaceful celebrations and harmony, emphasising that both administration and citizens share responsibility in maintaining peace.