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Brinda Karat says one extra death in Delhi riots not counted, police say not related
New Delhi
New Delhi
CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat on Thursday wrote to Delhi police commissioner SN Shrivastava about a man who she claimed had died in the Delhi riots but whose death was not put on record as a riot victim by police, the party said in a statement. The police, however, say the man’s death was not related to the riots.
In her letter to the police chief, Karat said there was an inaccuracy in the police’s account of the total deaths. Police have said 53 persons died while 400 others were injured during riots between Hindus and Muslims in north-east Delhi in February.
Karat said a man named Sikander, was killed on February 27. His body, according to Karat, was found below a flyover at Khajuri Chowk and that the post-mortem report showed he had sustained “serious head injuries”.
The body was identified by his brother Mohammed Ishfaque on March 19, she said.
Karat in her letter said while Ishfaque has not been given a copy of the FIR by police, a police personnel allegedly told him that “the compensation would be managed” and his (Sikander) name would be “adjusted” in the list later.
“The family has been through terrible trauma. Ishfaque’s shop in Bhajanpura was burnt and looted. His sister’s home in Ghonda was attacked and looted. And the youngest sibling of Sikander was killed. Instead of treating the family with sympathy, the Delhi Police by not registering Sikander as a victim has worsened their plight,” Karat wrote, adding the police should immediately add Sikander’s name to the list and submit a new list of 54 names to the Delhi high court.
In response to the letter, Delhi police spokesperson Eish Singhal said the man’s death was not related to the riots. The officer said, “On February 27, an unidentified body was found in a public toilet in Khajuri Khas. The body was taken to GTB hospital in a CATS ambulance. There were no fresh injuries on the body. Inquest proceedings were carried out. We are still awaiting the final autopsy report but there is so far no connection of that death to the riots.”
At least 53 persons died while 400 others were injured in the Delhi riots. The clashes started when two groups -- one supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act and another opposing it -- clashed near the Jafrabad metro station on the evening of February 23.
It snowballed into large-scale Hindu-Muslims clashes in parts of north-east Delhi between February 23 and 27.
Delhi police have arrested at least 21 persons for conspiring to orchestrate the riots. The arrested persons include prominent faces of the anti-CAA protests such as former JNU student Umar Khalid, student activists Sharjeel Imam, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Safoora Zargar.
Police have alleged that the arrested persons planned the riots, mobilised the rioters under the garb of the sit-in anti-CAA protests. The arrested persons have denied the allegations and accused police of launching a witch-hunt against anti-government voices.
