Paramilitary personnel deployed in the Shiv Vihar area of North-East Delhi, which witnessed most of the violence during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. , Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpkar
A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced nine people to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment in a case related to the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.
Additional Sessions Judge (Karkardooma Court) Pulastya Pramachala Mohd. Shahnawaz, Mohd. Shoaib, Rashid, Azad, Shahrukh, Parvez, Ashraf Ali, Mohd. Faisal and Rashid for offenses such as rioting and being part of an unlawful assembly.
“Communal riot is the menace which poses a serious threat to the feeling of fraternity among the citizens of our country. Communal riots are considered to be one of the most violent forms of public disorder that afflicts the society. It not only causes loss of life -There is loss of property, but also great damage to the social fabric,” the court order reads.
It further states that during communal riots innocent common people get caught in circumstances beyond their control, which also leads to violation of human rights.
The accused, who were booked under various sections, were sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for IPC section 436 (causing mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house). The order also states that the culprits will have to pay a fine of Rs 20,000. In default of payment of fine, each convict shall undergo simple imprisonment for one year and six months. An amount of Rs 1.5 lakh will be distributed to the complainant/victim as compensation from the fine collected under this section.
In the FIR lodged in February 2020, a police constable – who identified the accused – had given a statement that he had seen a crowd gathering at Chaman Park, Shiv Vihar, Tiraha Road since midnight. The FIR states that the mob consisted of all members of the Muslim community who had formed an unlawful assembly with the objective of causing maximum damage to members of the Hindu community as well as their properties.
The motive of the mob was also to create fear and insecurity in the minds of the members of the Hindu community and this mob, including the above accused, committed vandalism, theft and mischief by setting house number A-49A (victim’s house) on fire, reads the FIR. It also alleged that the accused had assembled in violation of the prohibitory order passed by Ld. DCP (N/E) u/s 144 Cr.PC