2020 Delhi riots: Court orders framing of charges against 25 accused in police chief death case | Latest News India

New Delhi, A court here has ordered charges including murder, arson and dacoity against 25 accused in the 2020 riot case in northeast Delhi in connection with the attack on a police team that killed head constable Ratan Lal.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala also said that the Constitution does not give a protester the right to use violence, assault, murder or damage any property. Therefore, the court stated that the claim that the defendants exercised their constitutional rights was completely misunderstood.

The court was hearing the case against 27 people accused of being part of a riotous mob that attacked and “brutally assaulted” a police team at the Chand Bagh protest site on February 24 while trying to stop authorities from blocking Wazirabad’s main road. 2020.

In its 115-page decision delivered on November 22, the court noted that Lal’s autopsy report showed gunshot wounds and 21 other external injuries.

“This gunshot wound and five other wounds were found sufficient to cause death in the ordinary course of nature. Therefore, the death of HC Ratan Lal occurred due to the assault and firing of gun received in the incident,” the court said. he said.

Lal, who had a slight fever and was advised to rest by his colleagues, joined the duty due to serious tension in the area within the limits of Dayalpur police station.

The prosecution said that he helped the then DCP Shahdara DCP Amit Sharma and ACP Gokalpuri Anuj Kumar calm down the crowd and control the crowd when the situation started to escalate.

Lal succumbed to 24 injuries he received while protecting the officers when a rebellious mob started attacking them.

Apart from Lal, the then DCP and ACP were also seriously injured, while 50 more police officers were among the injured.

The court said that on the day of the incident, the protesters had a “clear purpose” to resort to violence to show their power to the government.

“The protesters not only gathered to protest against the CAA/NRC but also came well armed with the mindset of using the same against the police force,” he said, adding that the aim of the riotous mob was to beat them “savagely” or “savagely”. He attacked police officers wherever possible and also aimed to commit vandalism, looting and arson.

The court noted that a meeting was held a few days before the incident, and when stopped by the police, it was decided to block the road and resort to violence.

“After the attempt to block the Wazirabad main road was neutralized by the police on February 23, 2020, the participation in the protest in large numbers on February 24 and the emphasis on carrying weapons shows that the organizers and speakers of the protest have drawn a clear framework: Cut off the mentality of attacking the police force,” the court said. He added that it was a pre-planned criminal conspiracy.

“The preparations for having weapons in the protest tent or the gathering of protesters equipped with different weapons cannot be a coincidence. It also seems like a coincidence that women and young people are kept in front to start throwing stones at the police.” a well thought out strategy,” said ASJ Pramachala.

Drawing attention to the statements of the witnesses, the judge said that the organizers and speakers of the protest were “constantly abetting” to incite violence.

Ordering criminal conspiracy charges to be framed against 11 organizers and speakers of the anti-CAA/NRC meeting, the court said there was “prima facie” evidence against them.

The organizers were Muhammad Salim Khan, Saleem Malik, Muhammad Jalaluddin alias Guddu Bhai, Shahnawaz, Furkan, Muhammad Ayub, Muhammad Yunus, Athar Khan, Tabassum, Muhammad Ayaz and his brother Khalid.

The court also decided to file a chargesheet under various sections of the Indian Penal Code against 14 other accused for attacking the police team and inciting riot.

These include murder, attempted murder, attempted culpable homicide, mischief by fire or use of explosives, causing serious injury to a public servant, rioting with a deadly weapon, licentiousness, unlawful assembly and certain sections of the Prevention Act. Destruction of Public Property Act.

The defendants include Muhammed Sadık, Suvaleen, Nasır, Arif, Muhammed Daniş, İbrahim, Bedrul Hasan, Şadab Ahmed, İmran Ansari, Raviş Fatima, Adil, Sameer, Muhammed Mansur and İrshad Ali.

The matter was published on December 3 for the official framing of the charges.

During the hearing, the court also refused to consider the defense attorney’s argument that his client, Saleem Malik, could not be tried in this case because he was already being tried in a larger conspiracy case.

“He cannot be exempt from prosecution in this case just because the defendant’s name is also mentioned in the larger conspiracy case.”

Meanwhile, the judge dismissed Muhammad Wasim, nicknamed Bablu, saying that it was not certain that he was part of the rebel gang.

“Based solely on the call detail records and the appearance of this accused in some CCTV footage from before the incident in question, I cannot find sufficient evidence to assume that Wasim was the person who threw the gas bomb or that he was present within the mafia.”

The court also discharged another accused, Sahid alias Shahbaz, from whom the stolen pistol of a police constable was recovered, saying that he could only be charged under section 412 of the IPC.

“It cannot be assumed that this defendant was part of the rioters just because the stolen gun was recovered. He was released due to the remaining charges,” the statement said. It was said.

The northeast Delhi riots, which began on February 24, 2020 and continued until February 26, 2020, resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people and injured more than 200 people.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.