Delhi riots: Court frames charges against Shahrukh Pathan

Shahrukh Pathan allegedly aimed a pistol at Delhi Police head constable Deepak Dahiya “with an intention to kill him”, on February 24 last year

A Delhi court on Thursday framed charges against the man who pointed a pistol at a police officer during the February 2020 riots and four others for attempt to murder and promoting enmity among religious groups in a case related to a man who was shot at during violence at north-east Delhi’s Maujpur.

The court said the accused intended to promote disharmony, hatred and ill-will between the two communities and caused danger to human life. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Shahrukh Pathan allegedly aimed a pistol at Delhi Police head constable Deepak Dahiya “with an intention to kill him”, on February 24 last year, the police have said in court. Pathan was arrested from Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh on March 3.

Additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat charged Pathan, Salman, Gulfam, Aatir and Osama(all referred to by their single name in court)under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.), 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC.

It also said that the accused persons allegedly shouted slogans intending to promote disharmony, hatred and ill-will between two communities. It added that they allegedly caused rioting intending to endanger human life, health or safety and obstructed the police officials who were posted there to maintain law and order, and used criminal force upon them.

According to the prosecution, the injured person, Rohit Shukla in a police statement on February 24 last year said there were two groups of people, one of which was shouting “Allah­hu­Akbar” and protesting against the Citizenship amendment law and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). He also said the assembly turned violent and started throwing stones and one person held a pistol shot at him.

Shukla had said that at another location, out of a violent crowd, a boy aged 24­ to 25 years came out with a pistol and tried to kill him. According to the statement, it was alleged that the boy fired at the witness who had then received injuries.

The matter will now come up for prosecution evidence on January 21, 2022.

Communal riots had broken out in the national capital claiming 53 lives and leaving over 700 injured.