Delhi court declines stay on journalist probe over alleged casteist remarks

The Delhi High Court on Monday declined a request to suspend an ongoing investigation into two journalists accused of making casteist remarks against ACP Vivek Bhagat, with Justice Mini Pushkarna observing that such a decision could not be taken without first reviewing the status report submitted by Delhi Police.

The bench's decision came after the journalists challenged the investigation through separate petitions seeking to halt the probe, citing concerns over the nature of the allegations and the investigative process.

Justice Pushkarna noted that any decision regarding a stay on the investigation would require a thorough examination of the police department's status report detailing the progress and findings of the case so far. The court indicated that the merits of the case and the investigative procedures followed would need to be assessed before granting any relief to the petitioners.

The case centres on allegations that the journalists made comments with casteist undertones against the police officer. The exact nature of the remarks and the circumstances under which they were made remain a subject of the ongoing investigation.

The court's decision to proceed with examining the police report suggests that the judicial process will move forward to determine whether the investigation has been conducted in accordance with established legal procedures and whether the allegations have sufficient merit to warrant continuation of the probe.