Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vinod Yadav, of the Karkardooma District Courts, who has criticized the Delhi police ‘”absurd and unreasonable” investigation into some of the riot cases of 2020 and had once made an observation that “failure to conduct a proper investigation would hurt sentinels of democracy”, was transferred to New Delhi district’s Rouse Avenue Court as Special Judge (PC Act) (CBI) on Wednesday. He will be replacing Judge Virender Bhatt, who will now be taking his position as an ASJ in Karkardooma court.
The Delhi HC issued an order transferring a total of 11 Judicial Officers [4 Additional Sessions and 7 Metropolitan Magistrates]
A day before his transfer, while hearing a northeast Delhi riots case, ASJ Yadav strongly criticized the Delhi police stating that the police witnesses are lying on oath and are giving contradictory statements.”This is a very sad situation,” Yadav said and sought a report from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) in this regard.
The judge had been opposed to Delhi’s police investigation in some of the riot cases and had repeatedly called them for their “farcical and callous” investigation and had even imposed a fine, which was later challenged in the high court.
In the past few months, he has repeatedly called for the intervention of Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana to monitor the investigation and take action against the erring police officers.
Communal clashes erupted in northeastern Delhi in February 2020, after violence between the supporters and the protesters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act went excessive and uncontrolled leaving at least 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
