Syed Ali Ahmed | India Tomorrow

NEW DELHI, JULY 7—The police investigations have unearthed a new modus operandi resorted to by rioters in killing Muslims during February 25-26 riots in Northeast Delhi in which 53 persons, mostly Muslims were killed.

A chargesheet filed by the Delhi police in connection with the northeast Delhi riots has claimed that a Whatsapp group called-Kattar Hindu Ekta- killed as many as nine Muslims and dumped their bodies into the Bhagirathi Vihar drain.

The chargesheet pertains to FIR No 102/20 registered at Gokulpuri police station in connection with the killing of Bhure, Amin and Hamza.

According to the chargesheet, Amin was killed and thrown in a drain in Bhagirathi Vihar on February 25 while he was coming on foot from Brijpuri Pulia. Bhure Ali was killed on February 26 and thrown at the same spot. Hamza was killed on February 26 and thrown in a drain in E Block. He was coming from Mustafabad.

Initially, there were a total of 125 members on the group. The group administrator-Lokesh Solanki-had sent messages to the members asking them to ascertain religious identity of people and if they happen to be Muslims, kill them. The police have seized mobile phones of as many as 12 of them and sent them for forensic examination.

According to the chargesheet, the group members after confirming the religious identity of their targets, would force them to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and then killed them.

Lokesh, according to chargesheet, himself claimed on the Whatsapp group to have killed two Muslims and thrown their bodies in the drain.

The police recovered as many as nine bodies-all belonging to Muslims- from the drain.

According to police, Lokesh posted the first message at 1.39 PM, saying  “Bhai, I am Lokesh Solanki from Ganga Vihar. If there is any problem or shortage of people, let me know. We will come with full Ganga Vihar team. We have everything necessary – bullets, guns and everything”.      

At 11.44 pm, he posted: “Around 9 pm, near BhagirathiVihar, your brother has killed two Muslims and thrown them into the drain along with my team. Vinay, you know that your brother is always in the front in accomplishing this kind of a job.”

Half-an-hour later, at 12.15 am, he allegedly posted again: “I am awake the whole night. If there is anything, just remember me.”

The police have arrested as many as nine persons connected with the group and involved in murders during riots on February 25 and 26.

The arrested persons have been identified as Lokesh Solanki(group admin), Pankaj Sharma, Sumit Chaudhary, Ankit Chaudhary, Prince, Jatin Sharma, Rishab Chaudhary, Vivek Panchal, and Himanshu Thakur. They are currently lodged in jai.

Based on call detail records (CDRs) of the arrested persons, the chargesheet says that the accused persons were continuously moving in the riot-hit areas of  Gokalpuri, Ganga Vihar, Johripur, Johripur Extension and Nala Road, Bhagirathi Vihar.

The police have so far filled 111 chargesheets and named 650 persons as accused in the riot cases.