A Delhi court has directed the city police to register within five days an FIR on a complaint of a man who claimed to have witnessed the killing of burqa-wearing women and their bodies being thrown into Bhagirathi Vihar nala during the north-east Delhi riots.
Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Kumar Rampuri gave the direction after rejecting the police submission that allegation of the complainant, Nisar Ahmed, regarding some burqa-clad women or those looking like Muslim women being killed with swords and their body thrown into the drain are “false and baseless”.
Threat calls
Mr. Ahmed, a small trader of readymade garments, in his plea, also submitted that he has been receiving threat calls and is being asked about details of his complaint and being told to settle the matter.
“The court fails to appreciate as to how the police could even claim that the allegation of the applicant [Mr. Ahmed]... are false and without any evidence before conducting any thorough and proper investigation known to law, of which FIR is the commencing point,” the court remarked.
In his complaint, Mr. Ahmed said that after he witnessed the crime, he locked himself and his family members inside his house. On February 25, a mob came to his house and broke the gate and looted his shop.
Mr. Ahmed also stated that his motorcycles were dragged out on the road and set ablaze. He said a large trunk containing his daughter-in-law’s jewellery and other personal items related to her marriage were also looted.
He said that with the help of some neighbour, he and his family managed to flee the area.
When he tried to register an FIR, Mr. Ahmed said, he came to know that another FIR was registered at Gokalpuri police station on the complaint of one Aas Mohammad, who was also a victim of unnamed rioters and theft.
The police stated that a handwritten complaint of Mr. Amhed was received and was clubbed with the other FIR as the dates and places of incident were same. It also stated that allegation regarding killing of burqa-clad women are false and baseless.
As the police said that chargesheets have been made in the other FIR, the court questioned as to how it can be expected to investigate the allegations of present complainant, which are substantially different from the chargesheet prepared by the investigating officer.
Even further investigation in the other FIR “would not cover the required proper investigation in the allegations levelled by present complainant”, the court said, directing the Station House Officer of Gokalpuri police station to get Mr. Ahmed’s complaint investigated properly as per law.
