Sitaram Yechury, Yogendra Yadav Not Named As Co-conspirators In Delhi Riots, Say Police In Rebuttal

The Delhi Police on Saturday rebutted the media reports that said CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav and others were named in a chargesheet as co-conspirators in Delhi riots.

"It is clarified that Shri Sitaram Yechury, Shri Yogendra Yadav and Smt Jayati Ghosh have not been arraigned as accused in the supplementary chargesheet filed by Delhi Police," the Delhi Police said in a tweet.

It is clarified that Shri Sitaram Yechury, Shri Yogendra Yadav and Smt Jayati Ghosh have not been arraigned as accused in the supplementary chargesheet filed by Delhi Police.

— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) September 13, 2020

Yogendra Yadav also termed the reports "factually incorrect", saying Delhi Police's supplementary chargesheet does not mention him as co-conspirator, or even as accused in Delhi Riots.

This is factually incorrect report, hope @PTI_News withdraws it.
Supplementary chargesheet does NOT mention me as co-conspirator, or even as accused. One passing reference to me and Yechury, in an unauthenticated police statement (not admissible in court) by one accused. https://t.co/QurXmQdOr2

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 12, 2020

"One passing reference to me and Yechury, in an unauthenticated police statement (not admissible in court) by one accused," he tweeted while quoting a media report.

News agency PTI quoted a source saying the Delhi Police has not filed a chargesheet "against" Yechury and others. The source stressed upon a difference between ''naming'' of someone as an accused in a chargesheet and of mentioning a name due to certain allegations.

Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal said, "The names are part of the disclosure statement of one of the accused in connection with organizing and addressing the anti-CAA protests. The disclosure statement has been truthfully recorded as narrated by the accused person. A person is not arraigned as an accused only on the basis of disclosure statement."

"However, it is only on the existence of sufficient corroborative evidence that further legal action is taken. The matter is currently sub judice," he said.

Several media reports had earlier said that the Delhi Police has named Yechury, Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh, Delhi University professor and activist Apoorvanand, and documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy as co-conspirators in the February Delhi riots.

The reports mentioned that they have been accused of asking anti-CAA protesters to go to "any extreme", spreading discontent in the community by calling CAA/NRC anti-Muslim, and organise demonstrations to “malign the image of the Government of India”.

(With agency inputs)