SC refuses to entertain pleas against Assam CM over 'shooting' video, asks petitioners to move HC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain petitions seeking action against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a viral video purportedly showing him taking aim and firing with a rifle at members of a particular community.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi asked the petitioners to approach the Gauhati High Court with their grievances.
The top court also asked the chief justice of the Gauhati High Court to expedite the hearing in the matter.
“Why haven't you gone to the Gauhati High Court? Don't undermine its authority… Will ask parties to use restraint and remain within the boundaries of constitutional morality, but this is becoming a trend just before the polls.
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"This is a disturbing trend that every matter ends up here. We have already deprived high courts of environmental and commercial litigations," the bench observed.
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi submitted that Sarma is a habitual and repeat offender, and urged the court to entertain the matter.
The top court on February 10 agreed to consider listing a plea of Left leaders seeking action against Sarma.
Referring to the upcoming Assembly polls in Assam, the top court said the problem is that a part of the elections is fought before it.
It took note of the submissions of lawyer Nizam Pasha, appearing for a few CPI and CPI(M) leaders, against Sarma and said it will consider listing the plea.
The video of Sarma purportedly taking aim with a rifle and firing at two people, one wearing a skull cap and the other with a beard, was shared by the Assam BJP on its official X handle on February 7.
The controversial post sparked widespread outrage and political condemnation. The BJP deleted the post after it was accused of inciting violence and communal hatred.
Separate pleas have been filed by the CPI(M) and CPI leader Annie Raja, seeking the registration of FIRs against Sarma for alleged hate speech aimed at communal polarisation.
They also sought the top court to set up a special investigation team (SIT) because an independent probe was not expected from the state or the central agencies.
The pleas listed in chronological order alleged provocative speeches and statements by Sarma.
Earlier, a separate petition was filed by 12 people on the issue, seeking directions to prevent divisive comments by persons holding constitutional posts.
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Over 17,000 people went missing in Delhi in 2024: NCRB
New Delhi (PTI): A total of 23,058 people, comprising 9,482 men and 13,576 women, were reported missing in Delhi in 2024, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Of the total, 5,491 were children below the age of 18 — 1,571 boys, 3,920 girls.
The city recorded 17,567 fresh adult missing persons cases in 2024, comprising 7,911 men and 9,656 women.
According to the NCRB data, released on Wednesday, 14,637 men, 18,238 women and six transgender persons were still missing from previous years.
At the latest count, in 2024, Delhi had a total of 55,939 missing persons cases — 24,119 men, 31,814 women and six transgender persons.
In 2024, police traced or collected 28,392 missing persons, including 12,182 men, 16,208 women and two transgender persons.
Only half of the men and half of the women who went missing could be traced.
A total of 27,547 missing persons – 11,937 men, 15,606 women, four transgender persons — were yet to be untraced by the end of the year, the data showed.
The data also revealed that 5,352 children from previous years remained untraced at the beginning of 2024.
The number of still missing boys was 1,621, and the number of missing girls was 3,729. Two transgender children were yet to be found.
After adding the pending cases from previous years, the total number of missing children cases handled in 2024 rose to 10,843.
The police traced or recovered 6,762 missing children — 2,030 boys, 4,732 girls.
The recovery rate stood at 63.6 per cent for boys and 61.9 per cent for girls, while no transgender child was traced.
By the end of 2024, a total of 4,081 children remained untraced, 1,162 of them boys, 2,917 girls, and two transgender children.
