Court Submitted Issue to June 21 (Representation)
New Delhi:
Delhi police on Sunday filed a lawsuit against six people in the alleged murder of an 85-year-old woman who died of asphyxiation when her house was burnt down during violence in northeast Delhi in February.
The crime branch filed the indictment with metropolitan magistrate Rakesh Kumar Rampuri against six people who were allegedly part of a mob that set fire to Akbari Begum’s house, which led to his death.
The court remitted the case to June 21.
The charges were laid against Arun Kumar, Varun Kumar, Vishal Singh, Ravi Kumar, Prakash Chand and Suraj Singh for the crimes of riot, illegal assembly, murder, attempted murder, dacoity with murder, mischief by fire, trespass and disappearance of evidence, disobedience of the official’s order and common intention under the Indian Penal Code. All the accused are in police custody.
Offenses carry a maximum death penalty.
The crime scene has laid 13 charges to date in violence-related cases in northeast Delhi. He was investigating 59 cases of murder and riot.
According to the charges, on February 25, when the crowd torched Akbari Begum’s house, other members fled to the roof, but the octogenarian could not.
She then died of suffocation (suffocation from inhaling smoke) and her charred body was found on a folding bed, police said.
An FIR was registered on the complaint of his son Saeed Salmani who had a clothing store on the ground floor of the building.
In his complaint, he stated that his four-story building was burnt down by the crowd who destroyed his clothing workshop, burned down his house and looted jewelry and money. Salmani was out to buy milk when the incident occurred, according to the complaint. Ms. Begum’s charred body was found when police and firefighters successfully extinguished the fire, the police said. His family members were rescued from the roof.
The charge sheet says six people were arrested based on videos that went viral on social media, statements by police who saved family members, eyewitness statements and other technical evidence , including recordings of call details.
A further investigation is underway to identify other accused in the case, the police added.
Clashes broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiraled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.
