The Delhi High Court set aside four First Information Reports (FIRs) filed at Jaffrabad Police Station, over the accused allegedly setting a compound ablaze during the North East Delhi riots in 2020, and ruled that five FIRs cannot be registered for the same cognisable offence, news agency PTI reported.
Justice Subramonium Prasad stated that it cannot be said that the incidents were separate, adding that a perusal of the chargesheets in all FIRs indicated that they were more or less identical and the accused were also same, PTI reported.
He noted that if there is any information found against the accused, it can be mentioned in the one FIR, which is not quashed.
He said, “However, if there is any material that has been found against the accused the same can be placed on record in FIR No.106/2020," The Indian Express quoted.
The order was passed in response to four petitions filed by Tara Anul, a counsel representing one of the accused in the cases.
She had submitted that five FIRs have been registered over different complaints by the members of the same family, regarding a single establishment. She also apprised the court that one fire brigade truck had extinguished the fire in the incident.
As per the Delhi Police, the properties damaged were different and the individuals had also undergone distinct damages.
However, Justice Prasad noted, “The chargesheet containing the site plan shows that all the properties are part of the same premises or they are in very close proximity with one another," The Indian Express quoted.
\Saying that the law has been "settled keeping in line with the principles enunciated by the Supreme Court of India," the bench said there can be nor more than one FIR or probes in the matter.
(With inputs from PTI and The Indian Express)
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