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Supreme Court of India Slams UP Police Over ‘Hide and Seek’ in Noida Hate Crime Case
The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the Uttar Pradesh government and police's investigation into a 2021 hate crime case in Noida. The court questioned the omission of Section 153B of the IPC from the FIR and called for the summoning of the investigating officer.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court criticized the UP government by asking, "Why is your investigating officer running away from this court?" This is in response to an affidavit filed by the police in a hate crime case that took place in 2021 in Noida.
Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta mentioned that charges under Section 153B of the IPC were not included in the FIR, despite clear instructions from the court. KM Nataraj, the Additional Solicitor General for the UP police and UP government, argued that they are seeking permission to investigate further.
The victim's lawyer argued that despite this court's clear instructions, the police removed Section 153B from the FIR registered in 2023. During the hearing, the Supreme Court sharply criticized the police's actions, stating that Section 153B of the IPC punishes imputations or statements that promote or are likely to promote enmity or hatred between different religious, racial, linguistic, regional groups, or castes prejudicial to national integration. The court clarified that it was willing to summon the investigating officer.
