The Aam Aadmi Party government has expressed its displeasure with the six names, saying the panel suggested by the Delhi Police might go against the dire need for a “fair trial” in the riots cases.AAP’s official Twitter handle stated the cabinet has directed the home department to appoint the best lawyers for a fair and impartial trial.
Another tussle with L-G
The Delhi Police had written to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal about the appointment of six senior advocates who would argue 85 cases related to the northeast Delhi riots and the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests on its behalf in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court.
The names suggested by the Delhi Police include central government laws officers, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi.After some pushback from the Delhi government, L-G Baijal asked it to decide on the matter expeditiously within a week.
Tuesday, Kejriwal’s cabinet observed that “the courts have already raised serious questions on the fairness of investigations done by the Delhi Police in the riot cases”.“In such a situation, a free and fair trial of these cases would not be possible by a panel of lawyers selected by the Delhi Police itself,” it said.
It is a significant development that further sheds light on the differences between the L-G’s office and AAP’s Delhi government over the appointment of lawyers to represent Delhi Police in riots cases.
