Delhi riots 2020: Key suspect in murder of police officer HC Rattan Lal apprehended

New Delhi: An official announced on Wednesday that one of the key conspirators in the murder of Head awwConstable Rattan Lal during the Northeast Riots 2020 in the national Capital has been apprehended by the Delhi Police's Special Cell after he had been missing for more than three years.

The suspect, known as Mohd Ayaz (53), was apprehended at a village in the district of Chikkaballapur near Bengaluru, Karnataka. He is a resident of Chand Bagh in the Karawal Nagar neighbourhood and was carrying a reward of Rs. 1 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

During northeast riots in Delhi on February 24, 2020, Ratan Lal was killed, while Anuj Kumar, the then Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gokulpuri and Amit Sharma, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara sustained multiple grievous injuries.

Sharing the details, the Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said that in January 2020, Ayaz along with his brother Khalid and others started an anti-CAA/NRC protest at Chand Bagh, Delhi in the line of Shaheen Bagh demonstration.

Thereafter, on February 23, 2020, a secret meeting was held at his home's basement and it was unanimously decided to bring sticks, iron rods among others to block the road in view of the visit of the then US President Donald Trump so as to gain maximum attention at international level.

"Thereafter, as per pre-planned conspiracy, the rioters blocked the road leading to Jafrabad Metro Station and consequently, different groups started rioting in various parts of North-East and Shahdara Districts of Delhi and the same continued till February 26, 2020 resulting in death of over 50 people, injury to hundreds of persons and huge loss of government and private properties. Over 750 cases were lodged in different police stations of Shahdara and North-East districts of Delhi in this regard," said the Special CP.

"A huge mob gathered at the Chand Bagh protest site in the morning of February 24, 2020 and attempted to block the main Wazirabad Road. However, when the police team tried to stop them, Ayaz, his brother Khalid and other rioters started pelting stones and attacked the police party causing the death of Delhi Police Head Constable Ratan Lal," said the Dhaliwal.

He said that a close watch was being kept over the close contacts of Ayaz and his brother Khalid.

"The technical and manual surveillance revealed that Mohd. Ayaz and his brother Khalid were changing their hideouts frequently. After incessant efforts, it emerged that both of them had moved to rural areas in Manipur to evade their arrest. Thereafter, efforts were made to track their movement in Manipur," said the Special CP.

Police came to know that Ayaz had moved to Bengaluru in the first week of June 2023.

"It was further revealed that he was in search of a suitable hideout in the rural area of Dibburahalli, around 100 kms from Bengaluru. Following the trail, a team located him in the area of Dibburahalli and he was nabbed on June 17," said Dhaliwal.

With inputs from IANS