By Muslim Mirror Network
The city police on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court it has preserved its original record, such as daily diaries, arrest memos and duty roster, in connection with the death of a 23-year-old man who was allegedly forced to sing the national anthem during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
Counsel representing the Delhi Police told Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani that investigation in the matter is ongoing and the documents are in the safe custody of a responsible police officer and can be produced before the court if asked.
The court was hearing a petition by Kismatun, the mother of deceased Faizan, who has sought a court-monitored SIT probe into the death of her son who along with four other Muslim men, was seen in a video that surfaced online after the incident.
In the video, Faizan could be seen being beaten up purportedly by some policemen while being forced to sing the national anthem and Vande Mataram’.
The woman has claimed that the police illegally detained her son and denied him critical health care due to which he succumbed to injuries on February 26, 2020.
Grover said in certain cases, SITs have been ordered to conduct probe by the high court “much later” and evidence was still available to be unearthed.
“This is a custodial murder. I was detained in Jyoti Nagar police station. He gave a dying declaration… There is reluctance. Evidence is available even today. If this is allowed, some citizens will never be safe,” she said.
The lawyer questioned why the deceased was kept in police station in detention when he was injured and required medical attention. She also highlighted that the postmortem report showed more injuries on the deceased than as indicated in an earlier medical report.
Besides CCTV footage, CDR (call detail record), etc, the court asked if video was also available from “random people” who take footage.
Prasad said the petitioner was trying to build a narrative and out of the four surviving victims, the statements of two have been recorded and two have “refused to come forward” and identify the alleged offenders.
In March last year, the police had told the high court that the case involved “technical evidence” and that the investigation has “zeroed down a head constable making the video” and not assaulting the victim and that no stone was being left unturned in the probe.
The court was then informed that the agency would take eight more weeks to complete the probe.
Grover has earlier argued that no arrest was made in the case and the police have made a false statement with respect to the status of CCTVs in the concerned police station and that the investigating agency was not probing the “second scene of crime” i.e the police station. ( With PTI inputs)
