Man burnt alive by Muslim mob targeting Hindu properties during Delhi violence: Police tells court

Delhi Police told a court here on Thursday that a man was allegedly burnt alive inside his sweets-shop when a Muslim mob targeted properties of Hindus during the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.

The fifth charge sheet filed in connection with the February riots during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) named 12 persons as accused in the murder case of Dilbar Negi who worked at the shop.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police filed the charge sheet before Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Parihar who has put up the matter for further hearing on June 18.

All the accused, who have been charged for offences of murder, rioting, promoting enmity between groups on the ground of religion and criminal conspiracy, are in judicial custody.

According to the charge sheet, a mob of Muslim community came from Brijpuri Pulia side in northeast Delhi and started rioting, targeting properties of Hindus and continued torching them till late night on February 24.

One of the properties torched by the mob was a shop named Anil Sweets from where the police had recovered the charred body of Negi on February 26, it said.

Negi had gone to the godown of the shop for having lunch and taking rest, the police said.

“During the recent riots in north-east Delhi, active rioting took place in different areas of north-east district starting from Kardampurir Maujpur, Chand Bagh and Shiv Vihar Tiraha near DRP School and Rajdhani Public School. At about 3.00 pm a mob of Muslim community came from Brijpuri Pulia side and started rioting.

“The rioting mob targeted the properties of Hindus, that is, M/S Anil Sweets, Anil Dairy, pastry shop, book shop, DRP School and godown of M/S Anil Sweets etc by torching them till late night and the mob of the same rioters community remained dominant till late night,” the charge sheet said.

The charge sheet has been filed under various sections including 147 and 148 (rioting and punishment for rioting), 149, 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc), 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.