Syed Ali Ahmed | India Tomorrow

 

NEW DELHI, APRIL 13—Even as entire nation is busy in dealing with the dreaded COVID-19, Delhi police have gone on an overdrive to arrest people in connection with the northeast Delhi’s February 2020 riot cases.

 

Police are reported to have arrested over 800 persons so far from Delhi as also from other places, particularly in Western UP. Majority of those arrested are said to be Muslims, though they were the victims who suffered heavily in terms of loss of life and destruction of their properties, houses, shops and commercial establishments.

 

While Crime Branch is said to have arrested 182 suspects in connection with 42 murder cases it is probing, northeast district police have arrested 620 people in connection with the riots. Police are on the manhunt for more suspects.

 

The suspects have been arrested with regard to 294 FIRs registered in nine police stations as the areas where riots took place were spread under the jurisdictions of these police stations, apart from those registered by Special Cell and Crime Branch.

 

 Police sources said that earlier three-four murder cases were registered in one FIR but now only one FIR was registered in one murder case only.

 

These police stations are: Khureji Khas, Welcome, New Usmanpur, Bhajanpura, Jafrabad, Dayalpur, Jyoti Nagar, Gokul Puri and Karawal Nagar.

 

A total of 53 persons were killed in the riots, besides hundreds of others having sustained injuries. As many as 30 persons are reported to be still missing and not traceable but the government is not giving data.

 

Out of 53 killed, 51 were identified and two still remain unidentified. Of them, 36 were Muslims and 15 Hindus. Muslims were mostly shot, killed with repeated blows or set on fire. Among the Hindus killed included a policeman and an intelligence officer named Ankit Sharma.

 

According to social activists, over 5,000 people were displaced as their houses were burnt and they could not return as relief and repair work was completely stopped due to the lockdown. These displaced persons are living in rented houses, government shelter places or with their relatives and friends.

 

What is surprising is that when the government is being lenient even to the prisoners and people in detention centres during lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Home Affairs is reported to have ordered the Delhi not to show any leniency against the suspects of the riot cases. Police sources say it is easy for police to arrest the suspects as all of them are in their houses during lockdown and cannot run away and hide.

 

This is happening despite the fact that civil society leaders as also leaders belonging to several Muslim organisations recently called on Delhi Police Commissioner not to harass and intimidate Muslims during the lockdown.

 

Muslim leaders told the police chief that the police was selectively implicating in riot cases those Muslim youths and activists who had taken the lead in anti-CAA & NRC agitation in Delhi.

 

Those killed in the northeast Delhi violence on February 23, 24 and 25, include:

 

1. Mubarak Hussain, a 28-year-old resident of Babarpur. He was shot in the chest at Vijay Park. A native of Darbhanga in Bihar, he worked as a labourer in Delhi.

 

2. Shahid Khan Alvi, 22 years. An autorickshaw driver, he was shot in the stomach near Bhajanpura dargah.

 

3. Mudassir Khan, also an autorickshaw driver and a resident of Kardampuri, he was also shot dead.

 

4. Nazim Khan, a 35-year-old scrap dealer, was also shot dead.

 

5. Mohammad Furqan, a 30-year-old was shot dead when he stepped out to buy food in Bhajanpura.

 

6. Mehtab, 22 years, and a resident of Brijpuri was burnt to death.

 

7. Ashfaq Hussain, a 24-year-old electrician, was shot five times in Mustafabad. His body was kept at the Al Hind Hospital there.

 

8. Ishaq Khan, a 24-year-old living in Kabir Nagar, who was shot.

 

9. Shan Mohammed from Loni, 34, was also shot.

 

10. Dilbar, 20-year-old who died of burn injuries.

 

11. Aman, 17 years old.

 

12. Maruf, 32 years old.

 

13. Salman, 24 years old.

 

14. Faizan, a 24-year-old.

 

15. Babbu Salmani, 33 years old.

 

16. Akbari, 85 years old, a resident of Gamri village in Khajuri Khas.

 

17. Ayub Shabbir, 60-year-old scrap dealer.

 

18. Monis, 21-year-old resident of Mustafabad.

 

19. Aamir Khan, 30-year-old jeans factory worker and father of two.

 

20. Hashim Ali, 19 years old, Aamir Khan’s brother.

 

21. Aqil Ahmad, 40 years old.

 

22. Aftab, 18-year-old from Bijnor.

 

23. Mohsin Ali, 24 years old.

 

24 Anwar Qassar, 58 years old, burnt to death.

 

25. Arshad, 22-year-old who lived in Karawal Nagar.

 

26. Mohammad Shaban, 22, resident of Mustafabad.

 

27. Mohammad Yusuf, 52 years old.

 

28. Musharaff, 35, residence of Kardampuri, killed in Gokalpuri.

 

29. Parvez Alam, 50-year-old social worker shot in the stomach in Ghonda.

 

30. Suleiman, 22.

 

31. Sayeed, 19.

 

32. Zakir, a 24-year-old from Mustafabad who died of stab injuries.

 

33. Aqib, 18, died of a head injury inflicted while he was out to shop for his sister’s wedding in Bhajanpura.

 

34. Jamaluddin, 30 years old

 

35. Hamza

 

36. Bhure Miyan, 25 years old

 

 

37. Ratan Lal, 42 years, a Delhi police head constable was fatally shot in Gokulpuri.

 

38. Rahul Solanki, resident of Babu Nagar near Shiv Vihar and a civil engineer by profession, stepped out to buy milk when he was shot in the neck, killing him.

 

39. Ankit Sharma, a 26-year-old security assistant with the Intelligence Bureau was a resident of Khajuri Khas. His body was found in the Chandbagh drain, severely injured.

 

40. Vinod Kumar, 45 years, was also beaten to death in Brahmpuri when he was returning home.

 

 

41. Vir Bhan Singh, 48 years, was going to have food when shot dead.

 

42. Deepak, a 34-year-old from Mandoli, who died of stab wounds. 

 

43. Pravesh, a 48-year-old from Maujpur, succumbed to gunshot wounds.

 

44. Rahul Thakur, a 23-year-old from Brijpuri, was killed in an “assault”, according to the hospital.

 

45. Alok Tiwari, 34 years old.

 

46. Nitin Kumar, 15 years old.

 

47. Prem Singh, 27, shot to death.

 

48. Dilbur Negi, 20 years old.

 

49. Dinesh Kumar, 35 years old.

 

50. Sanjeet Thakur, 32, stoned to death in Chand Bagh.

 

51. Naresh Saini, 32, died of bullet injuries