The Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained police from circulating any information regarding the allegation and evidence collected against the accused in the riots case on media or social media platforms.
“The respondent is restrained from issuing any such statements or circulating information regarding allegations and evidence allegedly collected against the petitioner or other accused, to any person, including to the media or on social media platforms,” the court said.
A single-judge bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru was listening to the petition.
The court was hearing a petition filed by PinjraTod activist Devangana Kalita through advocates Adit Pujari and Kriti Awasthi seeking the court’s direction to the Delhi Police to not leak any allegations pertaining to the Petitioner to the media pending investigation.
“The petitioner alleges that the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has been selectively leaking certain information regarding the allegations made against the petitioner and the evidence allegedly collected against her,” the plea said.
In this regards, the court has issued a notice to the Delhi Police and has asked the concerned DCP of the Crime Branch to file a personal affidavit affirming whether any such information as is mentioned in the present petition has been circulated by the officials of the Crime Branch to third persons, journalists or on social media.
“Let the counter-affidavit along with affidavit of the concerned DCP as directed, be filed within a period of two weeks from today. Rejoinder, if any, be filed within a period of one week thereafter,” the bench said while posting the matter for further hearing for July 9.