Delhi Court Directs Prosecution to Address Arguments on Charges

Delhi's Karkardooma court has directed the prosecution to start presenting arguments on charges, stating that the investigation on the charge sheeted accused is complete. Accused individuals had requested confirmation on the completion of the investigation to proceed with the case.

Delhi's Karkardooma court on Wednesday ordered the prosecution to commence addressing arguments on charges, asserting that the investigation concerning the charge-sheeted accused is now complete. According to the court, the prosecution's written submissions indicate the conclusion of the investigation for all involved accused persons, not just the applicants.

The court noted that the prosecution has disclosed the investigation's completion, making it appropriate for hearing arguments on charges. Accused Athar Khan, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Meeran Haider, Natasha Narwal, and Devangana Kalita had previously requested the court to confirm the investigation's status to proceed with the arguments.

The FIR was initially registered on March 6, 2020. The main charge sheet was filed over six months later, on September 16, 2020, following the invocation of UAPA provisions in April. Subsequent supplementary charge sheets were filed on October 22, 2020, February 23, 2021, March 2, 2022, and June 7, 2023.

Despite filing the last supplementary charge sheet three years after the FIR, the investigating agency continued to assert that the investigation was ongoing. Applicants argued that both the main and supplementary charge sheets indicated an incomplete investigation.

The applicants contended that the court should not proceed with the charges until the investigation is conclusively completed. In contrast, Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad argued the present delay tactics by the applicants are unnecessary, as sufficient material already exists for consideration.

The court acknowledged that while some forensic and other reports may still be pending, the situation is distinct in this case. The prosecution has repeatedly stated the investigation is ongoing, which complicates proceeding with the charges.

The special judge referred to a Delhi High Court judgement that mandates the prosecution to confirm if the charge sheet is finalized before hearing arguments. The court emphasized that the prosecution must inform whether the charge sheet has been fully filed and the case is ready for argument proceedings.

(With inputs from agencies.)