A Delhi court has convicted five men for assaulting police officers, obstructing public servants and participating in an unlawful assembly in Bhajanpura during the northeast Delhi riots of 2020.
The prosecution alleged that a large mob protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) crossed the road divider, attacked police personnel, vandalised the petrol pump and set it and nearby vehicles on fire. The Special Public Prosecutor argued that injured witnesses established the violence, while police and other witnesses established that the five men were part of the mob that attacked police, indulged in stone-pelting and vandalism and set the petrol pump on fire. The court also held that the prosecution had established the presence of all five accused in the unlawful assembly. “Through the testimonies of five witnesses, the prosecution, beyond all reasonable doubts, has proved that accused Tanveer, Hunain, Arif Malik, Mohd.
Additional sessions judge Parveen Singh of Karkardooma Courts passed the order on September 9, convicting Arif, Mohd Khalid, Abdul Sattar, Tanveer Ali and Hunain. The court will hear arguments on the quantum of sentence on September 16. The case arose from violence near the Bhajanpura petrol pump on February 24, 2020. The prosecution examined 26 witnesses during the trial.
The court in its judgement, accepted a substantial part of the evidence, finding that “a mob of around 100-150 people had gathered near the petrol pump and had a common object of rioting, arson, criminal mischief and vandalism”. “The said mob was raising slogans against CAA/NRC and from its conduct it can be safely gathered that it has assembled with a common object of committing riot, arson, criminal mischief and vandalism,” the judge said. Khalid and Abdul Sattar were members of the aforesaid unlawful assembly,” it said.
It also noted that another fire report collected during the investigation had not been proved in evidence.
The court said Delhi Fire Service (DFS) reports produced by the prosecution did not establish that the petrol pump had been set ablaze at the alleged time.
