A charge sheet related to the north-east Delhi riots case, filed last month by Delhi police, created a stir on social media on Saturday, after it emerged that one attachment to it has a statement by an accused, claiming that general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand, former MLA Chaudhary Mateen and advocate Mahmood Pracha had instigated the protestors.
To be sure, their names do not appear in the charge sheet itself.
Delhi Police moved immediately to clarify that none of these people have been charged. The unit’s spokesperson, Anil Mittal said, “Nobody has been charged. We have not even made any recommendation to the court because they are not an accused. The names are part of the disclosure statement of one of the accused in connection with organising and addressing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests. The disclosure statement has been truthfully recorded as narrated by the accused person. A person is not arraigned as an accused only on the basis of disclosure statement. However, it is only on the existence of sufficient corroborative evidence does further legal action is taken. The matter is currently sub judice.”
HT has reviewed a copy of the charge sheet. The statement in question was from a person called Gulfisha Khatoon, in which she names people who “fuelled the feeling of discontent among protesters by calling CAA and NRC anti-Muslim...”
{{/usCountry}}HT has reviewed a copy of the charge sheet. The statement in question was from a person called Gulfisha Khatoon, in which she names people who “fuelled the feeling of discontent among protesters by calling CAA and NRC anti-Muslim...”
{{/usCountry}}Khatoon, a student activist and alleged member of Pinjra Tod, was arrested on July 28 . Police have claimed that members of the women’s collective Pinjra Tod, including Devanga Kalita and Natasha Narwal, orchestrated the riots by mobilising people through their speeches during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.
Responding to Saturday’s online furore, Mahmood Pracha, said: “Political masters in the Home Ministry are misusing police to remove me from the scene either by physically eliminating me or falsely implicating me in these cases. I have thoroughly exposed them by the process of law.”
Pracha is also Khatoon’s counsel in the case.
Yechury too criticised Delhi Police. He tweeted, “56 people died in the riots. There are videos of people delivering inflammatory speeches but police are not taking any action against them. They have clear orders to suppress the oppression. There will be protests against this.”
DU professor Apoorvanand said the whole thing is “disappointing because the actual violence is not a concern for the Delhi police”.
“Delhi had suffered violence in February and we want to know the truth. Instead, Delhi police is deploying its energy, talent and time in weaving a fiction of a crime they know does not exist. To criminalise a legitimate act of protest against an act of the government is an ideological exercise and professional body like the Delhi police is not expected to be a part of it .”
Yadav and former MLA Chaudhary were not immediately available for comment.