DELHI HIGH COURT CLOSES DOOR ON SIT DEMAND IN JAMIA VIOLENCE AND 2020 RIOTS CASES

October 5, 2026

NEW DELHI — The Delhi High Court has rejected petitions seeking an independent Special Investigation Team probe into the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019 and the Delhi riots of 2020, declining to order a separate investigation into the cases.

The petitions had sought the creation of an SIT to examine the circumstances surrounding the violence and investigate allegations relating to the police response and the conduct of the investigations. The petitioners had argued that an independent mechanism was necessary to ensure a fair and comprehensive probe.

The court, however, found no grounds to grant the requested relief. The decision means that the investigations and legal proceedings already undertaken by the existing agencies will not be replaced by a separate SIT at this stage.

The Jamia violence occurred in December 2019 during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, while the Delhi riots of February 2020 resulted in deaths, injuries and extensive damage to property. Both episodes have remained subjects of prolonged legal and political debate.

The petitions had sought judicial intervention on the grounds that the existing investigations did not adequately address various allegations surrounding the incidents. The High Court's refusal to constitute an SIT effectively leaves those matters to be pursued through the established investigative and judicial processes.

The ruling is likely to renew debate over accountability for the violence and the manner in which the cases have been investigated. The broader legal proceedings connected with the 2019 Jamia violence and the 2020 Delhi riots, however, remain separate from the rejected demand for an SIT.