The Delhi Police has formally requested the Delhi High Court to reassign a case related to the 2020 Delhi riots, currently overseen by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna. The request follows the judge’s decision to temporarily halt the trial court from delivering a final ruling on charges. This matter involves Devangana Kalita, one of the accused in the Delhi riots conspiracy case.
On September 12, 2024, Justice Krishna issued an order permitting the continuation of arguments on charges in the trial court but barred the issuance of a final order. As of January 8, 2026, the judgment in the case was reserved, though the final verdict has not yet been delivered.
The counsel representing the Delhi Police brought the matter before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. The counsel highlighted that, according to the Supreme Court’s guidelines, a judgment should be delivered within three months after being reserved. Moreover, the Supreme Court allows parties to request case transfers if judgments are not pronounced within the specified period.
The police have filed an application to transfer the case to a different judge, noting that the application has not been addressed during court vacations. Furthermore, a co-accused has sought bail, arguing that the ongoing stay of proceedings in the High Court will delay the trial.
Chief Justice Upadhyaya requested the case details to consider potential administrative actions. “Let me enquire what all can be done by me on the administrative side,” he remarked.
In her plea, Kalita has petitioned the High Court for access to video recordings of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), which are being used by the prosecution in the riots case. She also requested the WhatsApp communications of police groups involved.
The Karkardooma Court commenced hearings on the conspiracy charges on September 5, 2024. The accused in this high-profile case include Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, and Faizan Khan. These individuals face severe charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
