A Delhi court on Monday reprimanded the Delhi Police for its failure to make progress in the investigation against BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who is accused of posting inflammatory tweets during the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections amid the Shaheen Bagh protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia criticized the police’s “casual attitude,” noting that despite repeated directions from the court—including an order over a year ago to collect relevant materials for the chargesheet—the Investigating Agency had failed to comply.
“No one appeared on behalf of the Investigating Agency to follow up on the court’s directions. Before this court makes any further stringent observations, the matter is being brought to the notice of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi,” the court stated.
The judge also noted that if assistance from other ministries is required, the Delhi Police is capable of seeking it and should not hesitate to do so.
The court has now listed the matter for further hearing on July 7 and directed the Joint Commissioner of Police, Northern Range, to ensure necessary steps are taken, emphasizing that his office is well-informed of the case’s status.
Background:
Mishra was booked in 2020 under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act for a tweet that accused the AAP and Congress of creating “mini Pakistan” in reference to Shaheen Bagh, adding, “On February 8, India will rise… Whenever traitors create Pakistan in India, patriots will rise.”
He also made similar remarks in interviews with media channels. The chargesheet in the case was filed only in 2023.
In March this year, the court flagged “significant gaps” in the investigation and ordered further probe, urging the Deputy Commissioner of Police to personally monitor the case due to its sensitive nature.
Representation:
- State: Additional Public Prosecutor Chiranjit Singh
- Kapil Mishra: Senior Advocate Pawan Narang, along with advocates Neeraj and Himanshu Seth
