Delhi riots: HC stays Rs 25,000 costs on Delhi Police, refuses to interfere with strictures for now
New Delhi, Jul 28: The Delhi High Court Wednesday stayed the imposition of Rs 25,000 costs on the police in a case related to north-east Delhi riots but refused to interfere with the trial court's strictures against its investigation at this stage.
We can't expunge the remarks without hearing you (Police). Costs may not be deposited till the next date of hearing, said Justice Subramonium Prasad who was hearing Delhi Police's challenge to the trial court order calling its investigation into the case callous and farcical and imposing Rs 25,000 costs.
The trial court order was passed in a challenge to magisterial court order that had directed Delhi Police to register an FIR on the complaint of one Mohammad Nasir, who lost his left eye after suffering a gunshot injury during the riots.
The high court issued notice on Delhi Police's plea against the trial court order and sought response of the complainant, Nasir, in 10 days.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the police, said that at present, the main grievance was against the costs and the strictures.
He also submitted that an FIR pertaining to the alleged incident had already been thoroughly investigated and the accused was found to be not present at the spot at the relevant time.
All investigation will lead to one conclusion, Raju said.
Advocate Mehmood Pracha, representing the complainant, claimed that the police's stand was misleading and his client was under tremendous pressure to withdraw his pleas before court.
The matter would be heard next on September 13.
In its challenge to the trial court order, police said the imposition of fine, which was to be recovered from the station house officer (SHO) of Bhajanpura police station and his supervising officers, was unwarranted and uncalled for.
Filed through advocates Amit Mahajan and Rajat Nair, the plea argues that the July 13 order was in violation of principles of natural justice as it was passed without giving any opportunity to the DCP to make his submissions, and that very serious remarks were made against the investigation even prior to the commencement of trial.
In its order, Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav had pulled up the police for lack of efficacy and fairness in the investigation in the case and said that it had been done in a most casual, callous, and farcical manner.
It was the police stand that there was no need to register a separate FIR on the basis of the complaint as it had already registered one earlier and there was no evidence against the persons who allegedly shot him as they were not present in Delhi at the time of the incident.
The judge had said that Mohammad Nasir was free to exhaust his remedies available to him in accordance with the law to get a separate FIR registered in respect of his complaint.
Communal clashes had broken out in north-east Delhi on February 24, 2020 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 700 injured.
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4 children test HIV positive in MP govt hospital; contaminated blood transfusion suspected
Satna/Bhopal (PTI): Four children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Satna District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said on Tuesday.
The case is four months old and an investigation is underway into it, an official said.
Officials suspect the use of contaminated needles or blood transfusions for the spread of infection to the children.
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MP Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told reporters in Bhopal that he has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report.
“It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital,” he said.
The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, received blood transfusions from the hospital's blood bank, as per an official.
Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Satna, said four children have tested HIV positive and an investigation is underway to determine how they got infected.
"Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main reasons I believe. Blood transfusion seems to be the most likely cause," he told PTI Videos.
All these children suffer from thalassemia, and some have received 80 or 100 blood transfusions, he said.
A family member of one of the affected children said that their child was found to be HIV positive during a routine checkup about four months back, and he has been receiving medication, but it had proven to be of no use.
After taking the medication for HIV, the child starts vomiting, feels low and becomes ill, he said.
After the four children were detected with HIV infection, their family members were also tested and the results came out negative, he added.
The Opposition Congress targeted the government over the matter and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Shukla.
Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav claimed such incidents were continuously occurring in Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, a case of toxic cough syrup came to light in Chhindwara, followed by incidents of rat bites at hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood, he said.
"The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident," Yadav said.
Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma termed it a failure of the government. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government has no connection with ground realities, he charged.
"Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, you are spreading it. Mohan Yadav should wake up from his slumber. Children are the nation's heritage and should be taken care of," he added.
