Delhi riots charge sheet: Hindus incited on WhatsApp group to attack Muslims
Delhi Police has filed at least 111 charge sheets thus far in connection with the riots, in which they have named 650 people.
On the second day of the riots in North East Delhi on February 25, a group of men created a WhatsApp group — Kattar Hindut Ekta — and asked all Hindu residents to attack Muslims, according to Delhi Police’s charge sheet filed in a city court on Tuesday.
Police said the charge sheet is related to FIR No 102/20 registered at the Gokalpuri police station in connection with the murder of Hamza, who is referred to by a single name in the police records, who was among the nine Muslim men whose bodies were recovered from the Bhagirathi Vihar drain on February 25 and 26. Police arrested nine men, Lokesh Solanki, Pankaj Sharma, Sumit Chaudhary, Ankit Chaudhary, Prince, Jatin Sharma, Rishab Chaudhary, Vivek Panchal, and Himanshu Thakur. The nine are currently in jail.
Police said that the administrator of the WhatsApp group -- initially there were 125 members -- brought together other rioters. The charge sheet also mentions that on February 26, at 11.39 pm, Solanki posted a message where he claimed that he and his “team” could come from “Ganga Vihar” and that they had “arms and ammunition.” Ganga Vihar adjoins Bagirathi Vihar.
According to the charge sheet, Solanki’s second message at 11.44 pm claims that he and his team have killed “two Muslims” and thrown their bodies in the drain.
The court is yet to take cognisance of the charge sheet and the arrested persons are yet to reply through the lawyer. The counsels for the accused persons will appear before the court and make the submission after the court takes cognisance.
The charge sheet adds that the group murdered nine Muslims in all. The charge sheet also mentions how the men assaulted the Muslim residents.
“Their modus operandi was that they used to catch the people and ascertain their religion by asking name, address and identity card. They were forcing them to call out “Jai Shri Ram’ many times.” Those with a Muslim name in the ID card, and who refused to chant the slogan were “ bluntly attacked and thrown into the Bhagirathi Vihar drain,” the charge sheet says.
Delhi Police has filed at least 111 charge sheets thus far in connection with the riots, in which they have named 650 people.
At least 53 persons died while around 400 were injured in the riots that broke out in parts of North East Delhi. Police in the charge sheets have alleged that the riots were planned by student activists, locals politicians, and some activists of the anti Citizenship Amendment Protests. Student leaders from Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU have been arrested in connection with the riots.