A Delhi court has summoned two police officers over the death of a 23-year-old man beaten with lathis during the 2020 riots. The court said the officials, entrusted as custodians of the law, appeared driven by bigoted mindsets.
A court in Delhi summoned two officers from the Delhi Police in connection with the death of a 23-year-old man who was beaten with lathis during the riots in 2020.
A viral video clip showed the victim, Faizan, being assaulted by police officers while being forced to sing the national anthem.
After the Delhi Police failed to produce any conclusive findings in the investigation, the Delhi High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the case in 2024.
The CBI recently submitted a chargesheet against Head Constable Ravinder Kumar and Constable Pawan Yadav under Sections 323, 325, and 304(II) of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and for causing injuries to the victim.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mayank Goel has acknowledged the CBI chargesheet and has ordered the accused to appear in court on February 24.
The court stated,
“There is sufficient material on record to take cognizance for commission of offence u/s 323, 325, 304(II) r/w Section 34 IPC and substantive offences thereof,” in an order dated February 04.
In July 2024, the High Court criticized the Delhi Police for its insufficient investigation. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani remarked that the incident was a hate crime and described the police investigation as “tardy and sketchy,” noting that it had spared certain police officials involved in the assault on Faizan.
Justice Bhambhani stated,
“What is worse is that the suspects (police officials) were entrusted to act as custodians of the law, and were in a position of power and authority, but seemed to have been driven by bigoted mindsets,”
The court concluded that the Delhi Police’s investigation did not inspire confidence and characterized their efforts thus far as “too-little, too-late.”
The Court remarked,
“In the present case, apart from the fact that the custodians of the law are themselves accused of having committed its breach, the perpetrators of the offence are themselves members of the agency that is investigating them. This situation does not inspire confidence. To add to this are the various anomalies and aberrations noticed in the investigation carried out by Delhi Police so far, some of which have been highlighted above. In the opinion of this court, transfer of investigation is necessitated in the present case, to guard the credibility of the investigation and to instill confidence in the victims as to the fairness of the process, if for no other reason.”
This order came in response to a plea submitted by Faizan’s mother, Kismatun, who alleged that her son was brutally attacked by police at Kardampuri and then taken into unlawful detention at the Jyoti Nagar Police Station, where he was denied medical assistance, ultimately leading to his death.