A Delhi court on Friday framed charges of rioting and attempted murder against ex-Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, activist Khalid Saifi, and 11 others in the Delhi riots case of 2020.
The charges were put under the section of attempt to murder and rioting by the additional sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, who is now treasuring to the Rouse Avenue Court.
ASJ Rawat, in the order given on January 19, said, “There are grounds for presuming that the accused persons have committed offences under Section 147/148/186/332/353/307 IPC read with Section 149 IPC.
The other accused mentioned are Vikram Pratab, Samir Ansari, Mohd Salim, Sabu Ansari, Iqbal Anmed, Anzaar, Mohd Ilyas, Mohd Bilal Saifi, Salim Ahmed, Mohd Yameen, and Sharif Khan. The court has discharged the accused.
The court has granted discharge to the accused persons from the offences of common intention and criminal conspiracy under Section 34 IPC, 120 IPC, 109 IPC, and 25/27 Arms Act.
The Take of Police
According to the special public prosecutor, the present case is related to the CAA protest at Khureji Khas. On February 26, 2020, a flag march was held in the area of Khureji Khas, and at about 12.15 PM, to maintain law and order in the area, the police party reached Masjidwali Gali, Khureji Khas, and asked the crowd to leave the area for Section 144 Cr PC to be implemented. Despite the warning by the police and the implementation of the curfew, the crowd refused to abide by the order as per the prosecution.
According to the allegations, those accused assisted the crowd in not leaving the area and threw stones at the police force. “The crowd started protesting and throwing stones at the police party. Even firing also took place at the place of the incident towards the police force,” the prosecution alleged.
“The protesters also manhandled the police officials in the said incident. Constable Vinod was injured and admitted to the hospital. To control the situation, fire and tear gas in the air were fired by the police party,” it alleged.
Soon after the retaliation by the police, the mob started to disperse, except for Ishrat Jahan, Khalid, and Sabu Ansari, who were apprehended by the police. On the same day, other co-accused, namely Vikram Pratap, Md Salim, and CCL Aaftab, were arrested.
As evidence, the Delhi police said they had recovered desi katta from the possession of CCL. They also mentioned that at the place of offence, stones, an iron rod, wooden sticks, and five empty cartridges were recovered.
What happened in the Delhi Riots?
In December 2019, the amendments to India’s citizenship law ignited fear and panic across the nation, with concerns about potential discrimination against Muslims and the marginalized.
Prime Minister Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) didn’t address the protesters’ concerns. Instead, they portrayed the protesters as violent anti-nationals. In February 2020, during elections in Delhi, the BJP ran a divisive campaign, particularly targeting a sit-in protest in Shaheen Bagh. The party continued with rhetoric, portraying anyone critical of Modi as a threat to India.
The reaction of the Muslim population was inevitable; thus, it all began with women protestors peacefully occupying the road outside Jaffrabad metro station, their voices echoing calls for justice and equality.
As the days progressed, the situation took a distressing turn. BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s ultimatum to evict protestors set the stage for heightened tensions. His chant “shoot the bloody traitors” resulted in actual violence at the protests where Hindu groups marched in Khajuri Khas, leading to the unfortunate incident of a Muslim-owned shop being set ablaze.
Clashes erupted near the Jaffrabad protest site, resulting in the tragic death of police constable Ratan Lal. The unrest escalated, with a petrol pump in Bhajanpura and schools in Shiv Vihar becoming targets of arson.
The turmoil spread like wildfire, causing Muslims to flee their neighbourhoods amid gunfire and chaos. The Gokulpuri spare parts market was engulfed in flames, adding to the growing list of locations scarred by the violence.
In the following days, the communal violence intensified, culminating in the horrific incident of an 85-year-old woman being burned alive in Gamri Extension. Hospitals witnessed an influx of injured individuals, many suffering from gunshot wounds, as the toll of the clashes continued to rise.
Tragedy struck again as Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma fell victim to a mob in Khajuri Khas. Schools and mosques became targets for arson, further deepening the sense of fear and insecurity.
The gravity of the situation prompted the deployment of paramilitary forces to northeast Delhi. Despite these efforts, a madrassa in Brijpuri fell victim to arson, highlighting the ongoing challenges in quelling the unrest.
As police and paramilitary forces conducted flag marches, incidents of violence persisted, predominantly targeting the Muslim community. The aftermath of these events left a scar on the social fabric of Northeast Delhi, underscoring the urgent need for communal harmony and dialogue to heal the wounds inflicted by those scary days.
