Delhi violence: Police files charge sheets before court in relation to head constable's murder

The Delhi police filed charge sheet before a court here on Monday in two cases related to the killing of Head Constable Ratan Lal during the communal violence in north east Delhi in February contending that there was a "deep-rooted conspiracy" that triggered the communal riot in which senior police officials were also attacked and suffered serious injuries. Police said during investigation it emerged that the sit-in protest in the main Wazirabad protest since mid-January was used as a "spring board to propel riots" and the ensuing riots snowballed into fierce rioting in various pockets of north east district and initially one community remained aggressive on February 24 which was followed by violent reaction of the other community on the next day.

It further said that in the investigation it has been established that the riots were not impromptu but were conspired with an intent to create communal strife, to malign the image of the country under the garb of democratically opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act. The conspirators caused disruption by dual scheme of spreading misinformation on CAA and roads blockade (chakka jam), which triggered a major communal riot, police said. When the mob attacked police officials on February 24, DCP (Shahdara) Amit Kumar Sharma, ACP (Gokulpuri) Anuj Kumar and other police officials suffered serious injuries. While one charge sheet named 17 persons as accused, other was filed against six persons for the offences of murder, rioting, unlawful assembly, promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion, caste, language etc and other sections and criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code. According to the FIR, the mob had then chased injured police officers into Mohan Nursing Home and vandalized it. Another FIR registered in the connection with the violence said that after attacking police officials, the rioters had barged into Saptrishi building on the main Wazirabad road near the protest site and had pelted stones and fired gunshots from its rooftop. One of the rioters Shahid, who was present at the rooftop, was killed with a gunshot injury, the second FIR had said.i The 925-page charge sheet filed in the murder case of Lal named 17 persons, including Shahrukh Mallick, Mohd Yunus, Mohd Ayub, Mohd Danish, Mohd Arif, Jalaluddin, Mohd Ibrahim, Mohd Nasir, Imran Ansari, Mohd Adil, as accused who allegedly were part of a violent mob that attacked the police force on the main Wazirabad road, Chand Bagh, in north east Delhi on February 24.

The charge sheet was filed under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) , 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to public servant), 333 (grievous hurt to public servant), 147 and 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 336 (act endangering lives or personal safety of others), 427 (mischief), 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder). Police also invoked provisions of sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 397 (robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 109 (abetment), 34 (common intention) of IPC and relevant sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act.

All the accused are in judicial custody in the case. The offences entail a maximum punishment of death penalty. The charge sheet has been filed based on statements of eyewitnesses, video evidence collected from various sources including CCTV cameras and other technical evidence including call detail records. The Crime Branch of Delhi police filed the charge sheet before Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Kumar Rampuri who put up the matter for consideration of the charge sheet on June 22.

The police have listed 164 witnesses in the charge sheet to buttress its investigation against the accused persons. The police charge sheeted six persons including Chand Mohd, Raiees Khan, Mohd Firoz, Sajid, in the case. Chand Mohd confessed that on February 23 there was a buzz in the area that something major may happen and hence they were asked to remain ready for any eventuality, police said. It claimed that Chand had further said that he along with his friends were present at the road and where the mob was shouting slogans to dissuade anti-CAA protests, police said. Police further said that Chand too got involved and raised anti-religious slogans and pelted stones on police party and pro-CAA group members. Chand said that when they saw some persons of their community had gathered on the rooftop of Saptrishi building, he along with his friends also barged into the building and went on the rooftop from where they started hurling stones at the police party and other groups, police claimed. Police further alleged that firearms were used by the members of both the groups and Sajid also had a country made pistol which was allegedly fired at the mob gathered at the opposite side on the road.