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Delhi school owner was in touch with radical Muslim clerics, Pinjra Tod to plan riots: Police

In another chargesheet in Delhi riots case, police said they had evidence that Rajdhani school owner had conspired with 'fundamental Muslim clerics', activists and Markaz members.

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch filed yet another chargesheet Wednesday, the fourth since Tuesday, in connection with the February communal riots that broke out in the national capital’s northeast district, naming Faisal Farooque and 17 others for hatching a conspiracy to “precipitate and aggravate riots, in and around Rajdhani School”, ThePrint has learnt.

The police claimed that Farooque, who is the owner of Rajdhani Public Senior Secondary School in Shiv Vihar, had links with prominent members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), Pinjra Tod activist group, Jamia Coordination Committee, Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz and some other “fundamental Muslim clerics”, including those based in Deoband.

This is what the police have cited as “evidence” in the case to “show the depth of the conspiracy”.

According to the police, it was on Farooque’s instructions that a mob torched and destroyed the adjacent and rival DRP Convent Public School, Anil Sweets building in the area and two parking lots run by the “other party”.


Also read: Former AAP leader Tahir Hussain & Pinjra Tod named by Delhi Police in 2 riots charge sheets


‘Provided school as base to rioters’

According to the police, Farooque provided his school as a “base” to rioters where they stocked up petrol bombs, acid and stones.

“The rioters camped inside and fired bullets from the terrace of Rajdhani School. They also threw petrol bombs, acid, bricks, stones and other missiles using an improvised large iron catapult, specially installed for the purpose, from the terrace of Rajdhani School,” a Delhi Police note on the chargesheet said.

“Six empty cartridge shells, glass bottles that were used for making Molotov cocktails, rope and iron catapult recovered from the terrace of Rajdhani School,” the note added.

Then, on 24 February, rioters from the other side barged into the Rajdhani school, burnt some classrooms and vandalised property. The police, however, said this was a “reaction of their actions”.

“The attack on the school was after they attacked people from its terrace,” said a police officer, who did not wish to be named.

The police also said some rioters used ropes to climb down from the terrace of Rajdhani school into the compound of DRP Convent Public School and set the school on fire.

“The mob had looted the computers and other expensive items from DRP Convent School. They had also burned down a building belonging to Anil Sweets, which stood right in front of Rajdhani School, on the other side of the road. Dilbar Negi, an employee with Anil Sweets, was trapped inside and his charred dead body was found later by the police,” the note said.

The case was registered on the complaint of the manager of DRP Public school, for the riots that occurred on 24 February outside Rajdhani school, said the police.

Delhi’s Northeast district saw three days of communal riots in February with mobs torching and vandalising public and private property. The riots had initially started as a clash between a group of people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing the protest. Between 24 and 26 February, more than 50 people were killed in the violence while many others were injured.


Also read: Pinjra Tod arrests, Delhi police witch hunt against students show Covid is not a top priority


Children leaving school early part of ‘evidence’

As part of evidence establishing that Farooque had conspired to instigate violence, the police claimed that many children from Muslim families left the school early on 24 February, along with their parents, during the half time recess.

“How did all the Muslim children leave at the time of recess? It indicates that this riot was planned. Farooque informed the parents in advance to take their children home,” said the police officer quoted above.

Farooque has been running the Rajdhani school in the area for the last 10 years.

The officer also claimed that the recovered empty shells, glass bottles and iron catapult indicated a well-planned strategy and assault on the “other party”.

The police also said they had witnesses, a guard from DRP School and another from Rajdhani school.

“It is evident (that the attack was planned) from the statement of witnesses, which include the guard at DRP School and his own guard at Rajdhani School,” the police said.

The police also said Farooque was in touch with Muslim clerics in Deoband and had travelled there just a day before the riots broke out.

“Farooque had visited Deoband just one day before the riots started, that is, on 23 February, which establishes that it was a conspiracy,” the police officer said.

“Moreover, his call detail records show that he was in touch with Pinjra Tod, Jamia Coordination Committee and Markaz,” he added.


Also read: Why Delhi riots are different — what ThePrint’s 13 reporters, photojournalists saw on ground


 

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10 COMMENTS

  1. Police doesn’t see Hindus killing dozens of muslims and throwing their bodies in sewer. They don’t see Kapil Mishra as inciting hate and starting the riots clearly by challenging the DCP with his statement that we won’t even listen to you. What a joke India has become in terms of Police and Judiciary?

    • The first violence was done by musllims. Muslims had catapults and gathered bricks. They just lost during the reaction which makes you salty. But there is zero doubt muslims started it all and got their asses handed back by hindu retaliation.

  2. Hello, This is Nithyananda speaking from Ecuador, I planned this in connivance of Delhi police. Can you plan an arrest – send your thulle to Kailasa !

  3. So the “cause” was the Muslim planning for the riots, and “effect” was the attack by the Hindus in reaction. Few questions are:
    1) did the “effect” precede the “cause”?
    2) was the “effect” better planned than the “cause”? Because there were talks that the Muslims suffered more damage, over more widespread area, and at quick speed which suggested meticulous pre-planning
    3) are there any Hindus identified for planning the “effect”?
    4) gas cylinders were blowing up in Muslim homes. Could that happen spontaneously, without any prethinking of this method of destruction, which would not necessiitate use of bombs?
    This police investigation is obviously remote controlled by the Hindutva bosses of Delhi police, who want to protect the actual starters of arson and murders. If a country’s internal killings of innocent people of one community can be referred to an international institution of justice, then Delhi riots are an absolute fit case for such a referral.
    Justice Kaul of SC has recently said that people are getting intolerant towards judiciary. This is a litmus test for the Supreme Court, if it has judicial courage to go to the bottom of this case, if it really wants to restore people’s faith in judiciary.

    • Delhi police have said in Delhi High court that they have not seen the video of Kapil Mishra’s provocative speech, while the whole world has seen it umpteen times. This fact alone tells you everything that you want to know about the Delhi riots of 24-26 February, 2020.

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