Jamia Panel, Muslim JNU Students, Pinjra Tod in Main Conspiracy Chargesheet of Delhi Riots: Sources

14-September-2020

The Delhi Police will file its chargesheet in the main conspiracy case related to the February riots in the national capital on September 17, top sources in the police department told CNN-News18.

The chargesheet, around 200-pages-long will make references to groups like the Pinjra Tod, the Jamia Coordination Committee, Muslim students of JNU groups, councillors and school owners, they said.

The police so far claimed in multiple chargesheets filed in courts that the Delhi riots were a result of a deep-rooted conspiracy by those who had organised protests against the controversial Citizenship Act amendments.

Claiming that the naming of groups or individuals as a reference is �routine�, the police sources said no action will be initiated against them. �We are leaving it to court to initiate any action against such groups or individuals,� a senior officer told CNN-News18.

The names of these groups and individuals have come up after the arrest of an accused, who told police that these groups used to instigate them for anti-CAA protests, the police sources said.

The communal violence which took place in the national capital from February 23 to 26, 2020, led to the death of 53 people, including one policeman. A majority of the 52 civilians killed were Muslim.

The police investigation has claimed that the riots were the result of a conspiracy by Muslim activists and leaders involved in protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The role of BJP leaders in inciting and threatening violence against the protestors has so far not been investigated.

The police have registered 751 FIRs in connection with the riots, arrested 1,575 persons and filed more than 250 chargesheets. Among those arrested have been two from the women�s collective Pinjra Tod, Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal of Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Asif Tanha and Gulfisha Fathima of Jamia Milia Islamia. All are facing charges under various sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

On Sunday night, the police also arrested political activist and former JNU students leader Umar Khalid under the UAPA on the charge of conspiring to engineer communal violence in Delhi.

The police also denied that its investigation has been unfair and that anti-CAA protestors, including social activists, academicians and students, are being framed in false cases. �Some are taking out few lines out of the chargesheets filed in the courts out of context in order to create a controversy and doubt about the investigation. Their assertion is not true and, instead, motivated,� the police said in the statement.