‘Namaz’ Row: SC Agrees To Hear Contempt Plea Against Haryana Officials

FILE PHOTO: Muslims offer namaz at an open site amid police presence, following protests by residents and members of various pro-Hindu organisations, at Sector 12, Gurugram (PTI)

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list for urgent hearing a former Rajya Sabha lawmaker’s plea seeking contempt action against top Haryana government officials over alleged disruptions in the offering of Friday ‘namaz’ in Gurugram.

A bench comprising Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for former MP Mohammad Adeeb, and said state government officials had not been following the 2018 apex court judgment issuing a slew of directions to stop hate crimes.

“This is not only based on newspaper reports, we have ourselves filed complaints. We are not asking for any enforcement of FIR. This court has laid down preventive measures,” the senior lawyer said.

“I will look into it and post before the appropriate bench immediately,” the CJI said.

Adeeb has filed a contempt plea seeking action against Haryana’s chief secretary and the director general of police for “not complying with” the earlier judgment passed on Tehseen Poonawala’s plea.

There have been alleged incidents of disruptions in offering ‘namaz’ in open designated places in Gurugram.

In 2018, the apex court issued guidelines to the Centre and states, asking them to take steps such as fast-tracking trials, victim compensation, deterrent punishment and disciplinary action against lax law-enforcing officials.

One guideline said states shall designate a senior police officer not below the rank of police superintendent as the nodal officer in each district. These officers will set up a task force to be assisted by one DSP-rank officer for taking measures to prevent mob violence and lynching.

The task force will gather intelligence reports on people likely to commit such crimes or who are involved in spreading hate speeches, provocative statements and fake news, it had said.

The state governments shall immediately identify districts, sub-divisions and villages where instances of lynching and mob violence have been reported in the recent past, it had said.