Delhi riots: Court dismisses anticipatory bail pleas of man in 3 cases

Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas filed by Raj Singh in three different cases, saying there was prima facie evidence about his alleged involvement in the riots. During the hearing held through video conferencing, Special Public Prosecutor Saleem Ahmed told the court that according to details of the charge sheets, the complainants in the three cases have individually identified Raj to be allegedly part of the mob which had vandalised their houses in Shastri Park area.

A Delhi court Friday dismissed anticipatory bail pleas filed by a man whose name has been mentioned in the charge sheets in three different cases for allegedly being part of an unlawful assembly during the communal violence in north east Delhi in February. Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas filed by Raj Singh in three different cases, saying there was prima facie evidence about his alleged involvement in the riots.

During the hearing held through video conferencing, Special Public Prosecutor Saleem Ahmed told the court that according to details of the charge sheets, the complainants in the three cases have individually identified Raj to be allegedly part of the mob which had vandalised their houses in Shastri Park area. The complainants Abdul Nazir, Mohd Irshad and Mehboob Hassan have clearly identified separately that Raj was allegedly also a member of an unlawful assembly which had vandalised several houses of the locality in village old Garhi Mendu, the counsel noted.

He has also been identified by Constable Ali Javed and was also allegedly visible in the video footage of the incident of  the locality, the public prosecutor said. The counsel further added that Raj was wanted in six  cases of arson,  looting and rioting in the area. Advocate Chaudhary Rajinder Singh, appearing for Raj, told the court that he being the resident of the same locality has been roped in the matters in a mechanical manner.

Raj was neither a part of unlawful assembly nor participated in riots and was falsely implicated in the three cases, the lawyer claimed. The judge said in his order, "It is apparent that from February 24 to February 25 huge riots had taken place in the area of north-east Delhi and large scale destruction of public and private property had taken place. The loss of lives of public persons had taken place and injury to the innocent persons were also caused.   "I prima facie find the involvement of the applicant in the matters. In my considered opinion, the applicant (Raj) has not been able to make out any case for grant of anticipatory bail. The application for anticipatory bail in all the three matters stands dismissed." The cases have been registered under sections 147 and 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 380 (theft), 436 (mischief by fire), 427 (mischief) of Indian Penal Code.

The offences entail a maximum punishment of 10 years. Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.

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