Delhi Riots: Amid Reports of ‘Haphazard’ Detentions, Minorities Panel Seeks Police Report
New Delhi: The Delhi Minorities Commission has intervened in the process of detentions, arrests and grant of compensation in matters related to the violence that took place in North East Delhi over three days beginning February 24. The panel has directed the deputy commissioner of police (North East District) to provide the details of those detained or arrested and the district magistrate to furnish the complete SDM area-wise list of compensation forms filed.
In a series of letters to the DCP (NE) on March 18, the panel’s chairperson Zafarul Islam Khan mentioned “haphazard arrests” in which people have been picked up and later forced to admit to crimes they did not commit and individual cases of violence against Muslims, for which the perpetrators were not proceeded against.
‘Youth being picked up without charges’
In one of these letters, he wrote: “We are getting reports of haphazard arrests of youth in the age group of 20-30 years. They are arrested in your area in dozens every single day without any charges or warrants.”
Khan also insisted that the Commission was “getting information that arrested youth are being pressurised to own up or to implicate others in crimes they apparently did not commit”. Also, he charged that there was “information that in some cases such arrested youth are forced to pay huge bribes and if they do, they are let off.”
Terming this “a serious violation of human and civil rights”, he directed the DCP to issue clear instructions to all the SHOs under his jurisdiction to desist from such illegal practices.
The wire
