The Delhi High Court Thursday expressed strong displeasure at the government for failing to prevent violence against people from the northeast living in the capital.
A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said: "We are pained to note that in spite of our being seized of the issue of the violence in the city of Delhi against people hailing from the northeastern part of the country ... inspite of issuance of directions from time to time, such incidents rather than abating, continue to occur."
The court's observation came after it was informed of Monday's incident in which a 29-year-old Manipuri man was beaten to death in a brawl in Kotla Mubarkpur area of south Delhi.
The court was informed that a police complaint has been registered and all accused arrested.
The court was also informed that the propensity of such incidents is in the localities of Kotla Mubarakpur, Lajpat Nagar, and Delhi University area, where a large chunk of northeast people stay in rented accommodation.
The court directed police officers having jurisdiction over such localities to submit a report of their assessment of the situation, the reason for such incidents, and the preventive steps being taken by them.
Earlier, the high court had directed police to set up a special unit for dealing with crime against people from the northeastern states in Delhi.
"We would like to know the measures taken by the said cell and as to why the setting up thereof is appearing to be ineffective," the bench remarked.
In another case, the court issued show cause notice to two lawyers, who had allegedly abused and manhandled a woman advocate hailing from Arunachal Pradesh and some people from the northeast inside a district court here.
The court asked why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.
"This court is prima facie satisfied that the alleged act against the victims are of such nature prejudicing and interfering with the due course of judicial proceeding and administration of justice," it said.
The woman advocate and her companions were subjected to intimidation by a mob of lawyers who were agitated about a criminal complaint filed against a lawyer.
The woman was allegedly assaulted by the advocate in the court hall in the presence of the judge presiding over the court.
The bench directed the Delhi government to file a status report as to the steps taken following the police complaint registered against the lawyer.
It further directed the district judge of Tis Hazari court, before whom the incident happened, to submit a report about it.
The court posted the matter for further hearing Aug 11.
