Tripura: SC requests lawyer seeking an investigation into the 2021 Tripura violence to reach out to the High Court

AGARTALA: On Friday, the Supreme Court asked a lawyer seeking an independent investigation into Tripura's alleged communal violence to contact the state's high court, which has already acted on the issue.

A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant requested the High court to allow the petitioner Ehtesham Hashmibin to intervene the proceedings pending before the HC ,If the matter were to be taken to the High Court at the present time, our handling of the case now would be an expression of distrust in one of our High Courts.

Since the arrest of lawyer Ehtesham Hashmi by Tripura police, who is penalised for his violent reporting under the draconian Unlawful activities Prevention Act, the High Court ordered the state police not to take any emergency measures that could hinder him. As a special concession, the court also allowed the High Court to consider the petitioner's request to appear by videoconference and urged the matter to be decided as soon as possible.

Hashmi, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, called for an investigation by a special investigation team (SIT) claiming collusion by police and the state government to eliminate cases of violence against Muslims, including the destruction of mosques. He said the state denied these cases in the affidavit in the High Court, but the same case was in the state last October. He added that the complainant was a lawyer from Delhi and that "The Tripura police have threatened these people and there are cases under the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act".

However, the SC Bench said they will give the permission to intervene and assist in the High Court and will allow the HC to investigate the issues raised here. They will protect him and can participate in the video conference process. Hashmi has referred him an "Advocate of the Supreme Court of India" and "AICC Legal Cell (SC)" in his Twitter bio. He also contended he was the member of the team that produced the fact-finding report entitled "Humanity Attacked by Tripura — #Muslim Lives matter".

His petition said compelled to approach the court to seek urgent intervention "in a series of hate crimes between 13.10.2021 and 27.10.2021 in Tripura". He said he was forced to approach the court. He claimed that state police did not take any concrete action against the suspects and riots, despite the seriousness and scale of the case.