The city police on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that the information about disclosure statement of a Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) student, who was arrested in a case related to the north-east Delhi communal violence, was not leaked by its officers.
DCP (Special Cell) in an affidavit stated that Delhi Police was also aggrieved by the news report in which the alleged confessional statement of JMI university student Asif Iqbal Tanha was leaked.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru, after perusing the affidavit, asked the counsel for Zee News and OpIndia to disclose the source of the statement by the next date of hearing on October 19.
Mr. Tanha, a 24-year old student, had in his plea stated that he was aggrieved by various news reports which appeared in electronic media that he has confessed to organising and inciting the communal riots.
‘Inadmissible evidence’
It was Mr. Tanha’s case that he was coerced by the police officers to sign certain papers and make statements while in their effective custody. He contends that the alleged disclosure statements, which are subject matter of news reports, were not given voluntarily and are inadmissible as evidence.
He had alleged that Delhi police officers have with the “mala fide intention of prejudicing” him in pending proceedings, leaked the statement to media. Mr. Tanha had also sought for an inquiry to be conducted into the misconduct of the police officers who are responsible for leaking the information to media agencies.
The court had, however, refused to pass any interim order directing Zee News and OpIndia and social networking platforms Facebook and YouTube to remove the content noting that it will pass necessary orders after hearing all the parties.
Mr. Tanha, who was arrested on May 19, is currently lodged in judicial custody in the Delhi riots case.
