Two years since Delhi racial violence, victims languishing in jail

New Delhi: It was just before noon on February 23, 2020. Sangh Parivar activists have reached out to north-east Delhi to resist the Shaheen Bagh-style agitation of women against the Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Central Government.

The provocation in the presence of the Delhi Police to evacuate the women from the protest tent led to stoning. The city of Delhi then witnessed three days and nights of racial violence. Amid the violence, the tents of the civil struggle were completely demolished. It was the deadliest racial attack witnessed in Delhi since the 1984 Sikh riots. The riots left 53 people dead.

Of the 758 cases, 695, including cases and counter cases and conspiracy cases by the Delhi Police, are being probed by the North East Delhi Police. Of these, only 92 cases have reached the trial stage, according to the figures provided by Delhi Police to the High Court on 27 January. Accordingly, chargesheets have been filed in 367 cases in the last two years. 387 cases are still under investigation.

Several civil rights activists have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to incite riot. Hundreds of innocent people are heard sighing from the jails in Delhi. The charge sheets list those victims as accused and plotters in the riot case. The Special Cell said that supplementary charge-sheet was yet to be filed. As a result, prisoners are denied even bail. The Delhi Police on Tuesday received a stern reprimand from the High Court for not filing a case against the accused, including the police, in connection with the complaints lodged by those killed in the riots two years ago. The High Court has not ruled on the petition for two years either.