Judge Recuses Himself From Hearing Jamia Violence Case Citing ‘Personal Reasons’, Days After Discharging Sharjeel Imam, Others

Days after discharging Sharjeel Imam, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha and eight others in a 2019 Jamia violence case, the trial court judge has recused himself from hearing a similar case pertaining to the violence citing “personal reasons.”

Additional Sessions Judge Arul Varma of Saket Courts has been hearing the cases connected to the violence that occured in 2019 near Jamia Millia Islamia University. However, he recused himself from hearing one of the cases yesterday and requested that the matter be transferred to another judge.

“Due to personal reasons, the undersigned hereby recuses from hearing the matter,” he said.

The case is now listed before Principal District and Sessions Judge on February 13 for deciding the transfer.

The development came in an FIR registered in 2019 at Jamia Nagar police station. Asif Iqbal Tanha, who was discharged by the judge, is also an accused in the FIR in question.

Passing a strongly-worded order, Judge Varma had discharged the accused persons after observing that the police was unable to apprehend “actual perpetrators” and “surely managed to rope them as scapegoats” in the matter.

However, days thereafter, the Delhi Police moved High Court challenging the order by submitting that the trial court was swayed by “emotional and sentimental feelings” and passed “gravely prejudicial and adverse remarks” against the prosecution and investigation.

Pulling up the prosecution for filing “ill-conceived chargesheets”, Judge Varma had observed that the police has “arbitrarily chosen” to array some people from the protesting crowd as accused and others as police witnesses.

Delhi Police’s revision petition was mentioned by SGI Tushar Mehta yesterday seeking an urgent listing which was allowed for Monday. The matter will be heard by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.