Pre-trial incarceration: Chidambaram on court's verdict on Delhi riots case

After a Delhi court acquitted 11 people in the riots case and termed them as 'scapegoats' while casting aspersions on police, former Home Minister P. Chidambaram has termed it as "pre-trial incarceration".

In a series of tweets on Sunday, he said, "A Delhi trial court has held that Sharjeel Imam and 10 others were made "scapegoats" in a case connected with incidents of violence in Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019 Was there even prima facie evidence against the accused? The Court's conclusion: unequivocal no."

He said, "Some accused have been lodged in jail for nearly three years. Some got bail after many months. This is pre-trial incarceration. An inept police and over-zealous prosecutors are responsible for keeping citizens in jail before trial.

"What action will be taken against them?

"Who will give back the months or years that the accused spent in jail? "

He said, "Criminal justice system that tolerates pre-trial incarceration is an affront to the Constitution of India, especially Articles 19 and 21.

"The SC must put an end to this daily abuse of the law. The sooner the better.

"Bless the trial courts that push back against the abuse of the law and uphold liberty," he added.

A Delhi court on Saturday while discharging former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student and activist Sharjeel Imam, co-accused Asif Iqbal Tanha and others in a case related to the incidents of violence at Jamia Milia Islamia University in December, 2019, said that the police were unable to apprehend the actual perpetrators behind commission of the offence, but surely managed to rope the above-mentioned accused as scapegoats.

The violence had erupted after the protesters clashed with the police over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) issue.

Additional Sessions Judge, Saket Court Complex, Arul Verma passed the order.