3 charge sheets filed, hearing on June 18 in Delhi riots case

Two cases were related to the alleged murder of two brothers – Hashim Ali and Amir Ali – and the third pertained to the murder of a restaurant waiter, Dilbar Negi, whose charred body with his arms severed was found in the eatery that was torched during the riots on February 26.

New Delhi: The police on Thursday filed three more charge sheets in as many cases related to the February communal riots in a Delhi court, which posted the matter for June 18, when it is likely to take cognisance of the charge sheets.

The charge sheet in Hashim’s murder case named nine people; 11 people were booked for his brother Amir’s murder. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

Two cases were related to the alleged murder of two brothers – Hashim Ali and Amir Ali – and the third pertained to the murder of a restaurant waiter, Dilbar Negi, whose charred body with his arms severed was found in the eatery that was torched during the riots on February 26.

The charge sheet in Hashim’s murder case named nine people; 11 people were booked for his brother Amir’s murder. All 20 people have been charged with rioting, unlawful assembly and murder. A total of 12 people have been charged with allegedly murdered Negi.

At least 53 people died and more than 400 were injured in the rioting in northeast Delhi in February that started as clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA.

The charge sheets on Thursday were filed before duty magistrate Richa Parihar.

None of the suspects arrested in the three cases have received bail, senior crime branch officers associated with the cases said.

The police, in a statement released on Thursday, said the rioting in the two cases involving the two brothers had taken place in Bhagirathi Vihar, Johripur area on February 25 and 26. Four bodies were recovered after the violence following which four separate first information reports were filed in the case, the statement said.

During the investigation, the police said, it was found that a WhatsApp group had been created on the intervening night that had 125 members.

“Two active members of this WhatsApp group were located and joined in the investigation. During the investigation, their mobile phones were scanned and the specific WhatsApp group created on February 25 was also identified. It was revealed that while some members of these groups were only sending and receiving chats, a few others were involved in active rioting.” the police said.

Of the four slain people, the two brothers were allegedly beaten to death by a mob when they were returning to their house in the area on the night of February 26, the police said.

The charge sheets were filed under sections 147 and 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. The offences entail a maximum punishment of death.

The police identified some of the active members of the WhatsApp group as Himanshu Thakur, Jatin Chaudhary, Prince Chaudhary and Ankit. The police also said they recovered a stolen phone belonging to one of the dead.

Negi’s burnt body was found in one of the properties set on fire by a mob, the warehouse of a restaurant where he had come for lunch and rest, crime branch officers said.The police said the mob engaged in violence until late in the night, targeting and torching properties. A man identified as Rahul Solanki of Mahalaxmi Enclave was also shot dead in the late evening, following which case was registered against 12 people.

The 12 persons charged in Negi’s murder case included Shahnawaz, Salman and Sonu Saifi. All of them have been charged with f murder, rioting, promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion and criminal conspiracy, and are in judicial custody.