CCTV FOOTAGES CALLED TO ASCERTAIN ACTUAL INCIDENTS
In the recent anti-CAA protests, violent clashes between police & protesters were witnessed. In one of these protests 50 persons were detained for alleged violence in anti-CAA protest. Out of those 50, there were bail applications for 15 persons namely Rehan Khan, Amir, Mohd. Danish, Mohd. Ashfaq, Haider Ali, Danish Malik, Mohd. Athar, Sabeel Ahmed, Abbas Ahmed, Mohd. Ali Ansari, Furqaan, Irfanuddin, Atif & Mohd. Shamsher.
Siddharth Aggarwal for the accused has argued that the accused names were not there in the FIR. Moreover other detenues were released but they were still detained. No police custody was sought for the 15 detainees & there was no recovery of dangerous weapons. It was argued that ‘mere presence of the applicants in the area of occurrence does not involve that they are also involved’. The addresses of the accused 15 persons were not found. They also belonged to the lower strata of the society. Therefore the ld. Counsel has prayed for appropriate bail conditions.
Whereas the additional public prosecutor Mr. Ashok Kumar has argued that 17 policemen, area SHO, 2 inspectors & joint C.P. were injured. It was argued that the accused had tried to burn/damage office of DCP by burning the car parked opposite to it. They have also damaged government property by uprooting pillars & throwing them on cars. The injured policemen have also identified the applicants.
The Additional Judge Manish Yaduvanshi, while having the perusal of all the evidences & arguments, has called for the CCTV footages of the DCP office & other adjoining areas where the offence took place. Therefore the following directions were passes by the sessions court:
- ‘The IO to examine the aspect of CCTV footage & produce CCTV grabs, if any, of the alleged incident in order to ascertain the actual involvement of the applicants in the offences alleged to have been committed by them.
- The applicants whose Parcha 12 could not be verified may provide alternate address, if any, to the IO who shall make sincere efforts for obtaining the address for verification positively by next date of hearing.’
Submitted by –
Harsh Vardhan Gupta
Student reporter, INBA