Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has granted sanction for the prosecution of six persons accused in a case of North-East Delhi communal riots of 2020 in which a man died due to gunshot injury.

During the investigation, it emerged that a deep-rooted conspiracy was hatched under the garb of democratically opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill which led to the riots in the North-East District of Delhi.

The present case relates to the death of 25-year-old Shahid alias Allah Mehar, a resident of Gali No 17, New Mustafabad due to a gunshot injury on February 24, 2020.

The Lieutenant Governor granted prosecution sanction in the case FIR No 84/2020 lodged on March 1, 2020, at police station Dayal Pur, Delhi against Mohd Firoz, Chand Mohd, Rais Khan, Md Junaid, Irshad and Akil Ahmed for the commission of offences punishable under section 153 A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) penalises “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony”. This is punishable with imprisonment up to three years, with a fine, or both.

Section 505 (1) under which the sanction for prosecution has been sought deals with cases of Statements conducing to public mischief — Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report,—with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquillity; or with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to 6[three years], or with fine, or with both.

In the instant case, six arrested accused disclosed that they were involved in riots. They had forcefully entered the building of Saptarishi Ispat and Alloys Pvt Ltd and looted the office of the firm with other rioters.

The victim had sustained the gunshot injury at the rooftop of the company located at the service road near 25 Foota Chand Bagh, main Wazirabad Road Delhi near Chand Bagh Mazar during the incident of a communal riot which took place on February 24, 2020.

The investigation of the case was transferred to the Crime Branch which examined the witnesses and analyzed the evidence collected, including the viral video on social media of a TV Channel.

Investigations into riots cases that occurred in the wake of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill revealed that quite some time prior to it, the conspirators were circulating by way of distributing pamphlets and canvassing in the Muslim-dominated areas that the Centre intended to take away the citizenship of Muslims and further would be put in the detention camp.

The Lieutenant Governor has granted the sanction for prosecution under Section 196 (1)of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973. The FIR No 84/2020 was lodged under Sections 144, 145,147, 148,149, 153A, 302, 395,397,452,454,505,506,188 and 120B of the IPC.