Delhi Riots 2020: Court frames charges against seven under three cases

In a significant development in the 2020 Delhi Riots case, on September 30, the Karkardoorma Court in Delhi framed charges against seven persons in three separate cases pursuant to mob violence that rocked the national capital in early 2020. Notably, all three matters include charges of rioting, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, amongst other offences under the Indian Penal Code.

Karkardooma Court presses charges against 7 persons in Delhi Riots 2020

The order has been passed by Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vinod Yadav which framed charges in a total of 51 cases relating to the violence that took the lives of 53 people in North Delhi. While two FIRs have been registered in Karawal Nagar while one case was registered in the Gokalpuri area. Main accused Imran has been booked for offences including an attempt to murder, unlawful assembly while Section 144 had been imposed, and allegations that the crowd tried to deter police officials taking hold of the situation near Brijpuri Pulia and even caused gunshot injury to a police constable.

Other accused in the case, namely, Dinesh Yadav, Babu, Sandeep, Tinku have been booked for public trespassing, unlawful assembly, private trespassing as they trespassed in a shop dealing with scrap business and the shop owner's house on the first floor to commit theft and tried to destroy the property too. Furthermore, accused Sandeep Bhati is booked for being a part of an unlawful assembly that caused gunshot injuries to a 25-year-old boy named Shahrukh and for damaging various houses in the Shiv Vihar area and setting ablaze several thelas (carts) in the disturbed areas

'Delhi Riots 2020 case must be expedited': Court

The Karkardoorma Court held that the proceedings of the Delhi riots 'conspiracy' case, wherein individuals have been booked under the Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act, must be expedited. People have been booked under violations of provisions under the said act and the Delhi court deemed them as 'masterminds' of the ethnic mob violence that took place in February 2020. 

Delhi HC says riots were 'pre-planned conspiracy'

The Delhi High Court on September 28 made key observations in Delhi Riots 2020 case, deeming the mob violence as 'pre-planned and pre-mediated' conspiracy. While denying the bail application of a man who is accused of killing Head constable Ratan Lal and causing grievous injuries to a police official, Justice Subramonium Prasad delivered stark remarks on the riots which shook North-east Delhi last year.

Justice Prasad noted the incidents of violence 'did not take place in a spur of the moment.' There was a 'pre-planned' conspiracy to disturb law and order of the city. Highlighting the conduct of the protestors caught in the video footage, which has been placed on record by the prosecution, Justice Prasad stated that the video visibly portrays that it was a 'calculated attempt to dislocate the functioning of the Government' as well as to 'disrupt the normal life of the people' in the city.