New Delhi, March 19 The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the city police and administration to ensure a conducive atmosphere for peaceful and dignified observance of Eid in Uttam Nagar, where a 26-year-old man was killed in a clash on Holi.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said that the police deployment in the area should be such that it instills a sense of safety and security in everyone.
The bench directed the authorities to ensure that no one engages in any activity that could potentially create "unforeseen circumstances".
It clarified that the police arrangements in the area would continue until the upcoming festival of Ram Navami.
The order was passed on a PIL filed by a civil rights group, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, which approached the Delhi High Court on Wednesday to prevent "imminent communal violence" on Eid in Uttam Nagar.
The court said that Eid is a festival to rejoice, and it is the duty of all authorities to ensure that on such a "sacred occasion", public life is not disrupted by any unforeseen incident.
"We thus direct the police and civil administration of the area to take all necessary action, permissible under law, to ensure that the situation does not take a negative turn and an atmosphere is created conducive to peaceful and dignified observance of the Eid festival, which is likely to be tomorrow," the court ordered.
"The police deployment should be such that it instills a sense of safety and security in everyone. The authorities should also ensure that no one from any section of society is permitted to engage in any kind of mischief that could potentially create any unforeseen situation," it further said.
The police counsel assured that adequate police personnel and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed in the area since March 5.
Several people, including a minor, have been apprehended in connection with the death of the 26-year-old man in a clash between two neighboring families with long-standing disputes during Holi celebrations in southwest Delhi's Uttam Nagar.