In the midst of discussions concerning the victim impact report (VIR) being compiled by the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) regarding a case linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, a court in the area remarked on receiving a letter from the secretary of the authority containing "highly troubling" information.

The judge promptly sent a copy of the letter to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP), urging them to take "urgent and appropriate action" in response to its contents.

During a previous hearing on the issue, the court had described the delay in preparing the victim impact report (VIR) as "unfortunate." However, when the matter was brought up for hearing around 10:30 am on Saturday, the court noted that there had been no response from either the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) or the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA).

Sending a reminder letter to both the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to ensure the filing of a Victim Impact Report (VIR) in the case, the court scheduled further proceedings for April 20. Subsequently, at 11 am, the court announced that it had received a sealed envelope containing a letter from the Secretary of the DLSA.

“I have gone through the letter from the secretary. The facts mentioned therein are very disturbing and hence a copy of this letter is being forwarded to DCP to take immediate necessary action, in view of facts mentioned therein under intimation to this court,” Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala said.

The Delhi High Court has established specific procedures for the preparation of Victim Impact Reports (VIRs) following the conviction of the accused, aimed at evaluating the extent of harm experienced by the victims of the crime, encompassing their physical, emotional, and financial challenges. According to these guidelines, the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) is obligated to submit the VIR before the trial court in every criminal trial subsequent to a conviction.

During a hearing presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Pramachala on Saturday, arguments were being presented against Jony Kumar, who had been sentenced for rioting and arson. During the proceedings, the judge directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to take appropriate action based on the letter received from the DLSA.

On April 1, the court took note of a request made by the Secretary of the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA), who sought a postponement of the submission of the Victim Impact Report (VIR) to a later date. This request stemmed from the fact that the investigating officer (IO) failed to bring one of the victims before the court for interaction.

Expressing disappointment, the judge labeled the delay in preparing the VIR for the case as "unfortunate."