Supreme Court stays trial in murder of Delhi civil defence volunteer Rabia Saifi

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the murder trial in connection with the death of former Delhi civil defence volunteer Rabia Saifi [Sameed Ahmad v State of Haryana and Ors].

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Prasanna B Varale sought the response of the Haryana and Delhi governments, the Delhi Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter.

Advocates Mehmood Pracha, RHA Sikander, Jatin Bhatt, Sanawar and Nuzhat Naseem appeared for Sameed Ahmad, the father of the deceased.

The top court was hearing an appeal filed by Ahmad against a July 3 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Ahmad had in November 2021 approached that High Court seeking an independent court-monitored probe into his daughter's murder by the CBI.

He claimed that the murder was carried out as part of a larger conspiracy to suppress the "factum of indulgence of civil defence personnel of the Delhi Government in rampant corruption under the garb of enforcing Covid appropriate behavior among public."

The plea before the High Court alleged deliberate concealment of injuries in the post-mortem report of Rabia.

However, the High Court dismissed the plea as infructuous in view of the trial court already having framed charges.

This led to the appeal before the Supreme Court by Ahmad.