New Delhi: Delhi High Court Tuesday refused to stay the investigation in a case filed against a woman YouTuber for making alleged casteist remarks against a police officer during a protest near Jantar Mantar earlier this month.
Justice Mini Pushkarna issued a notice to Delhi Police and the assistant commissioner, who is the complainant in the case, on the woman’s petition seeking quashing of the FIR, and asked them to file their replies before Nov 16, the next date of hearing. List for final hearing on Nov 16,” she added.
The investigation will continue,” the judge said. “I am simply issuing notice on the petition and the interim application. Unless and until I have their (police) stand, I can’t stay the investigation. I will hear it on merits once I have their reply. “I am not rejecting any prayer as of now. I am only issuing a notice to them. The matter needs consideration. The high court passed a similar order on another plea by a male colleague of the woman YouTuber, seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him in the same matter. During the hearing Tuesday, her counsel contended that the FIR filed by the ACP was lodged only to intimidate her into not pursuing the complaint against him. The counsel for the police, however, opposed the prayer for an interim stay on the investigation.
As the court was not inclined to stay the investigation in the SC/ST Act case, the counsel submitted that the Supreme Court has already granted interim protection from coercive action to the woman and urged the court to grant the same relief to the male scribe.