Delhi’s Karkardooma court on July 8 framed charges against six men for allegedly setting one Shahbaz on fire, leading to his death during the riots in north-east Delhi in 2020. The court maintained that the act was pre-planned to take revenge against Muslims.
The framing of charges was carried out by Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala, who framed charges against Aman, Vikram, Rahul Sharma, Ravi Sharma, Dinesh Sharma and Ranjeet Rana, for the offences of murder, rioting, attacking a particular community, dacoity, and criminal conspiracy.
The court observed that some of the witnesses had seen the act, which resulted in the commission of offences in a pre-planned manner and in an active conspiracy with each other.
“...... the sole aim of the mob of taking revenge from Muslim community,” the court said.
The order added that, from the statement of a witness, it was on record that the accused persons were actively part of the mob, which had earlier gathered on February 24, 2020 and planned to riot the following day.
“Accused persons joined this mob being aware of the planning. They had also done so by being an active member of an unlawful assembly having its common object of causing harm and damage to the person and property of Muslim community, violating the provisions of Section 144 CrPC, promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, causing the killing of the present victim, i.e., deceased Shahbaz,” the court further said.
Accused Mr. Aman has also been charged under Section 412 of IPC for keeping the wrist-watch of the deceased, which was recovered from him and was identified in the judicial Test Identification Parade.
The matter pertains to the death of Shahbaz, who was burnt alive on February 25, 2020. The body of the deceased was discovered by a Sub-Inspector after Shahbaz’s friend lodged a complaint that he was missing with the Khajuri Khas Police Station.
The family of the deceased informed the police that Shahbaz had gone to buy medicines for his eyes and was stuck in the riots. It is when his kin began searching for him that they were told by a person named Ankit that their brother had been burnt alive. The identification of the remains was carried out with the deceased’s father’s DNA.
