India must remain a shining example of democracy, parliamentary panel tells chiefs of Delhi Police, NIA, CBI

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 17 

Amid the Delhi police action in the ‘toolkit’ controversy and the cops casting the net wide to probe foreign hand in Republic Day violence, the parliamentary standing committee on Home on Tuesday told the heads of probe agencies under the government to ensure “citizens’ rights are not violated even by default during the course of the investigations and democratic procedures never given a go by.”

The Committee interacted with the chiefs of NIA, CBI, Delhi police among other investigation agencies under the Home Ministry to discuss their budget requirements and said India was too strong a country “to be overwhelmed by one group or a set of individuals and should always remain a shining example of democracy.”

The meeting came in the backdrop of Delhi Police registering a case of sedition against the creators (including global climate campaigner Greta Thunberg) of a controversial toolkit and Delhi police investigations now ranging to cover the role of pro-Khalistan group Poetic Justice Foundation in the Republic Day violence in the capital.

The committee chaired by Congress leader Anand Sharma is learnt to have warned the probe agency heads over the quality of evidence being collected by them in these times of digital technology when planting evidence has become easy.

“There was a discussion on the possibilities of malware being planted in the personal devices of people and comments were made by panel members about the need for the chiefs of probe agencies to ensure credible evidence is collected, one that can stand legal and judicial scrutiny since India is a rules-based society,” a committee member said.

Another panel source said the committee told the agency heads to “not get overwhelmed by some individuals” and that “India is too strong a nation to be flustered by a few and it must, as it has always been, remain a shining example of democracy setting new standards every day.”

The committee remarks become significant at a time when arrested environmentalist Disha Ravi has alleged she was not allowed by Delhi police to get her lawyer at the time of the arrest.

The police have denied the charges though.

A Delhi court yesterday allowed Disha Ravi access to lawyers and family.

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