News Analysis India

Tag: Delhi police

  • Delhi riots: ‘Sorry state of affairs’ says court after no progress in probe

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: “This is really a sorry state of affairs,” a Delhi court said on Tuesday, coming down heavily on the police for showing no progress in the investigation of a riots case months after registering the FIR.

    Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav made the remarks after he was apprised that no progress has been made in the investigation of a case registered in June 2021 on the complaint of one Nasir Ahmed and even the persons named in the FIR have not been interrogated.

    “This is really a sorry state of affairs,” ASJ Yadav said, adding that this case has not gotten the attention of either the Delhi Police Commissioner or the newly-constituted Special Investigation Cell (SIC) tasked to monitor the probe in the riots cases.

    He noted that the police is claiming that the circumstances during the riots in February 2020 and four weeks thereafter were difficult, followed by a pandemic due to which it could not investigate the cases properly.

    “I wonder whether the police can take the same excuse qua the investigation of the case, PS Gokalpuri. The answer has to be ‘clear No’,” ASG Yadav said.

    He directed the prosecutor to tell the court about the probe carried by the police on the next date of hearing and asked the copy of the order be sent to the Commissioner of Police for his reference and to take appropriate steps.

    Nasir Ahmed, a resident of Delhi’s Bhagirathi Vihar area, claimed that he witnessed the communal riots on February 24 and 25 and identified various persons out of a mob of 200-250 persons, who were rioting near Gokalpuri toll-tax.

    He claimed that on February 24, the mob put up a loud public address system and exhorted people to vandalize, rob, and put on fire the houses and shops of persons belonging to the other community while asserting that the police were with them.

    He said that the mob allegedly stopped the persons passing through that area and if found to be from the other community, they inflicted injuries upon them and burned their vehicles.

    On February 25, he claimed that the mob put his godown and three bikes on fire.

    He further said that on both dates, he made several calls to the police, but to no avail.

    Ahmed then made several complaints to the police, but no action was taken.

    He also received threats, following which the witness protection committee of the district asked the police to provide protection to him.

    He was then constrained to approach the High Court where for the first time the prosecutor said that his complaint dated March 18 had been clubbed with two different cases.

    Subsequently, Ahmed approached the district court seeking registration of a separate FIR in his case and not to treat his complaint as part of another case.

    The metropolitan magistrate allowed his plea on October 26 and directed the police to register the FIR.

    The police, however, challenged the order which was dismissed by ASJ Yadav on April 26.

    They were asked to register a separate FIR, which was done in June, almost two months after the court directions.

    The court will now hear the matter on October 22 on the point of charge.

    Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi in February 2020, after violence between the Citizenship (Amendment) Act supporters and its protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

  • Kuki National Front chief Mangkholam Kipgen held in Delhi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Self-styled commander-in-chief of Kuki National Front Mangkholam Kipgen, who was wanted in cases of kidnapping and extortion, was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell, an official said on Monday.

    The Kuki National Front is a northeast-based insurgent group.

    Mangkholam Kipgen alias David Kipgen, 24, was arrested from Dwarka on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said.

    Several cases related to kidnapping, firing, extortion, robbery among others are registered against Kipgen in various police stations of Manipur, the DCP said.

  • Delhi Police arrests man from Jammu in connection with NC leader’s murder

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A third arrest has been made in connection with the killing of National Conference leader Trilochan Singh Wazir whose highly decomposed body was found at a flat in Moti Nagar in West Delhi, police said on Sunday.

    The body of Wazir, a former member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council, with the head wrapped in a plastic bag was found on September 9 in a washroom of the flat, which was taken on rent by his acquaintance Harpreet Singh (31), a native of Amritsar, according to police.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said the accused, Harmeet Singh, has been arrested from Jammu.

    The case of murder was later transferred to the crime branch which along with assistance from the Special Cell of Delhi Police was working on the case to nab the suspects.

    This is the third arrest in the case so far while raids are still being conducted to nab Harpreet Singh who is still at large.

    Police had earlier arrested two people from Jammu — Rajender Chaudhary alias Raju Ganja (33) and Balbir Singh alias Billa (67).

    The four accused had planned to dump the body at a metro station or IGI airport and visited the places but could not succeed, police had said.

    They had been planning his killing for the past two-three months and planted fake evidence to mislead the police, taking inspiration from Bollywood movie “Drishyam”, they had said.

  • Maharashtra ATS arrests one more person in connection with terror module busted by Delhi Police

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has arrested one more person in connection with the Pakistan-supported terror module busted by Delhi Police recently, an ATS official said on Sunday.

    The man, whose identity was not revealed by the ATS, was nabbed from Mumbra town in neighbouring Thane district on Saturday night after information received about him from Zakir Hussain Shaikh (45), an accused who was arrested by the ATS from Jogeshwari in Mumbai on Friday, he said.

    Based on information revealed by Shaikh, the state ATS conducted multiple raids and nabbed the man from Mumbra, the official said, adding that they were probing his role into the terror module.

    The Delhi Police’s Special Cell on Tuesday busted a ‘terror module’ with the arrest of six men, including two terrorists trained by Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.

    The module was allegedly planning to carry out blasts across the country.

    Jan Mohammad Shaikh, one of the six suspects, is a resident of Dharavi in Mumbai.

    Zakir Shaikh, whose name cropped up during the interrogation of arrested suspects, was in touch with Jan Mohammed Shaikh, sources earlier said.

    A separate FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was registered against Zakir Shaikh in Mumbai.

    The ATS told a Mumbai court on Saturday that Zakir Shaikh was arrested in connection with a criminal conspiracy to carry out terror attacks using explosives in Maharashtra and elsewhere.

    He was in touch with one ‘Anthony’ from a “neighbouring country”, and the ATS wanted to find out who was this person and what was his role in the conspiracy, it had said.

    The court on Saturday sent Zakir Shaikh in the ATS custody till September 20.

     

  • Mumbai police, ATS question family members of terror suspect nabbed by Delhi cops

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Mumbai police and Maharashtra ATS officials on Tuesday questioned the family members of terror suspect Jaan Mohammad Shaikh, arrested for allegedly being part of a Pakistan-organised module, and searched his home here, police said.

    Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell busted a Pakistan-organised terror module with the arrest of six men, including two Pak- ISI trained terrorists, officials said.

    Shaikh (47) alias ‘Sameer Kalia’, whose family stays at Sion in Central Mumbai, is among those arrested by the Special Cell and allegedly has underworld links.

    As his arrest became public, personnel from the Mumbai crime branch and local police rushed to his residence and questioned his family members, who stay in a room in a slum in Sion, they said.

    Shaikh had been staying in the house with his family members since the last few years, police said.

    He is married and has two daughters, they said, quoting local residents.

    Police made enquiries about his background with the family members and neighbours, an official said.

    They also searched the house to get more information about Shaikh’s activities, he said.

    The family members were asked about how he was came into contact with the module, the official said.

    Later, a team of the Maharashtra ATS also reached Shaikh’s residence and gathered details about his family background and carried out verification, he said.

    A large number of mediapersons had assembled outside Shaikh’s residence.

    Police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain order and avoid any untoward incident.

    Speaking to mediapersons, Shaikh’s neighbours said they were shocked to hear about his connection with the terror module.

    One of them said Shaikh was known as a “family man” who never got into any argument with residents of the area.

    He was a driver by profession and his wife does some household job, a woman resident said.

    Shaikh owns the house and had been residing there since years, she said, adding he lost his parents a decade ago.

    One of his daughters studies in college, the woman said.

    According to the Delhi Police, the terrorists were allegedly planning several blasts across the country during the upcoming festivals.

    They were arrested following raids in Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

    The Delhi police said the arrested men were tasked separately to execute different aspects of the terror plan.

    Shaikh, an underworld operative and close contact of Anees Ibrahim, who is brother of Dawood Ibrahim, was tasked by a Pak-based person connected with underworld operatives hiding in Pakistan, to ensure smooth delivery of improvised explosive devices (IED), sophisticated weapons and grenades to different entities in India, they said.

  • SC asks AIIMS to give age determination report of missing Gorakhpur girl recovered by police

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to give by September 17 its report on determining the age of a girl who went missing from Gorakhpur in UP since July 8 and was later recovered by Delhi Police earlier this month.

    The apex court observed that further steps will be taken in the matter depending on the age determination report of the girl, who according to her mother is aged around 15-16 years while in Aadhaar, her age is mentioned as 13.

    A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar also permitted two lawyers assisting senior advocate KV Viswanathan, who was nominated by the top court to appear for the girl as she was not represented before it through a counsel, to interact with her.

    “We direct the concerned authority of AIIMS, Delhi to ensure that age determination report is given before the next date of hearing which we schedule on September 17,” said the bench, also comprising justices Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar.

    The top court had on September 7 handed over the investigation of the case lodged in Uttar Pradesh, after the girl was missing from Gorakhpur, to Delhi Police which recently recovered her and arrested the alleged abductor.

    During the hearing on Tuesday, Viswanathan said that he has seen the two status reports and also the suggestions of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) RS Suri, who is appearing for Delhi Police, and the counsel appearing for the girl’s mother.

    He said age of the girl has to be determined as the report says pregnancy was detected but ultrasound does not show pregnancy.

    On his suggestion that two lawyers assisting him be permitted to interact with the girl who is presently staying at a child home, the bench said, “We will immediately accept your suggestion. We will permit these advocates to interact with the girl.”

    Viswanathan said after her age is ascertained, then the other issues including that of under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act may arise. “We will ask the AIIMS to give age determination report,” the bench said.

    The ASG told the bench that the girl had married the man, who had allegedly abducted her. “If she is a minor, then the marriage is no marriage at all. We will go into it later,” the bench said. Suri said since the pregnancy is stated to be in early stage, abortion could be the best course.

    The bench said it would go into the issue after age determination report is placed before it.

    Advocate Pai Amit, appearing for the girl’s mother who had filed a petition seeking directions to the UP Police and Delhi Police to trace her daughter, told the bench that the girl is saying that she is 17-year-old while as per the mother, she is aged about 15-16.

    “We have to go step-by-step. Without knowing her age, how can we decide,” the bench observed, adding that age determination is the priority at this stage. Viswanathan said that age determination and confirmation of pregnancy will help in forming a concrete opinion in the matter.

    At the fag end of hearing, Amit said that media should be asked not to divulge details of investigation report as the matter concerns a minor. The bench directed the Delhi Police to ensure that investigation report or developments in the matter are not publicly disclosed.

    Earlier, Suri had told the court that the girl was recovered and the man who allegedly abducted her was arrested from Kolkata on September 2 and they were brought here on September 4. After that, the minor was examined at the AIIMS and also given counselling, he had said, adding the girl had refused to go with her mother.

    He had said the AIIMS has referred her to the forensic department for estimation of her age. The top court had on September 1 pulled up Uttar Pradesh Police for its probe into the case and directed it to forthwith share the investigation report with Delhi Police.

    The mother, who works as a domestic help in Delhi, has claimed in her petition that her daughter is believed to have been kidnapped from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh by a man when her family members had gone there to attend a marriage ceremony.

    An FIR was registered in the case at Gorakhpur.

    In her petition, the girl’s mother has sought directions for carrying out investigation into the disappearance and kidnapping of her daughter and take appropriate action against those who may be found involved in this.

    The habeas corpus petition, seeking to produce the girl before the court, has alleged that despite an FIR being lodged at Gorakhpur and an attempt being made to make a complaint with the Delhi Police, no action has been taken to trace the minor.

    It claimed the man, who is suspected to have kidnapped the girl, was constantly luring and coaxing her to accompany him.

  • Raids in J&K, Punjab over National Conference leader’s death in Delhi

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Raids are being conducted in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab to catch two suspects involved in the murder of National Conference leader Trilochan Singh Wazir, the Delhi Police said on Friday. Wazir (67), also former Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council member, was found dead in a flat in West Delhi on Thursday.

    A case of murder was registered in the matter and the investigation was transferred to Delhi Police’s Crime Branch with the force’s  Special Cell to assist them, officials had said.  According to sources, police checked CCTV footage of the area and found that the accused were present in the building on Wednesday, a day before Wazir’s body was found. Prima facie, it looks like the NC leader was killed on September 2, sources said.The postmortem was conducted at a government hospital here on Friday for which a board of doctors was constituted, they said.

    Investigation teams have been sent to Amritsar and Jammu in connection with the probe to trace the two suspects — Harpreet Singh and Harmeet Singh — who have been absconding. The highly decomposed body of Wazir with his head wrapped in a plastic bag was found in a washroom of the flat.

  • Delhi HC asks Google, YouTube, Centre to take steps to remove woman’s objectionable photos from internet

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has asked Google, YouTube and Delhi Police to take steps to remove the sites and links carrying objectionable photos and videos of a married woman from the Internet.

    Justice Subramonium Prasad made it clear that this was not an adversarial litigation and listed the matter for September 16, while asking Google, YouTube, the Centre and Delhi Police Cyber Cell to file their replies to the woman’s plea seeking directions to them to remove the photos and videos.

    The high court’s interim order came on a petition by the woman seeking directions to the Centre to block pornographic sites operating under pseudo names.

    The plea also sought directions to Google block any nude, sexually explicit or morphed photos of the woman appearing on their sites.

    “It is made clear that this is not an adversarial litigation and it is expected that counsel for Google LLC, YouTube, Centre and Cyber Cell of Delhi Police will take necessary steps to remove the sites and links, carrying objectionable photos and videos of the petitioner, from the Internet before the next date of hearing,” the court said.

    Central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia assured the court that the Union of India will take necessary steps for removal of the sites and links from the Internet carrying objectionable photographs and videos of the woman and sought time to file an affidavit.

    Advocate Mamta Jha, representing Google LLC and YouTube, submitted that all the URLs, which are with the YouTube, have been removed and 10 channels have already been blocked.

    In order to expedite the process of removing the links and sites from the Internet, the court impleaded the Delhi Police through Cyber Cell as a party.

  • National Conference leader Trilochan Wazir found dead in west Delhi, probe underway

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Former member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council and National Conference leader Trilochan Singh Wazir was found dead in a flat in West Delhi’s Moti Nagar on Thursday, police said.

    The body of the 67-year-old Wazir was found in a decomposed state.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Urvija Goel, said, “Information of a dead body was received at Moti Nagar police station. On reaching the spot, our team found the decomposed body of a person who was identified as Trilochan Singh Wazir by one of his acquaintance.”

    Further investigation is in progress to ascertain the exact cause of his death, police said.

    The family of the deceased has been informed and the body has been sent for post-mortem, they said, adding Wazir was a resident of Jammu.

    NC leader Omar Abdullah expressed shock at the death of his colleague.

    “Shocked by the terrible news of the sudden death of my colleague Sardar T.S. Wazir, ex member of the Legislative Council. It was only a few days ago that we sat together in Jammu not realising it was the last time I would be meeting him. May his soul rest in peace,” he tweeted.

    Taking to Twitter, President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and National Spokesperson of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, said, “Shocked & deeply pained with the murder of my dearest friend like mentor S.MTarlochan Singh Wazir ji in Delhi.MHe has given valuable services as Chairman of District Gurudwara Parbandak Board, J&K. My deep condolences to his family. May Waheguru grant eternal peace to his soul.”

  • FIR against head of Afghan solidarity panel, others for allegedly flouting COVID-19 norms

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Wednesday booked the head of the Afghan solidarity committee Ahmad Zia Ghani and other refugees for allegedly not wearing masks and flouting COVID-19 norms during their protest outside United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office at Vasant Vihar.

    The police also said that no prior permission was sought by the Afghan refugees and asylum seekers camping outside the UNHCR office.

    In an FIR lodged by sub-inspector Deepak Kumar Tanwar dated August 31, Tanwar stated, “Ghani was holding a protest outside the UNHCR office. Today, I along with other personnel were deployed for law and order duty at the UNHCR office. Around 300 Afghan refugees have gathered and most of them were not wearing masks, not maintaining social distance. Ghani, who is the organiser of the protest was also not wearing a mask and also not maintaining social distance.”

    Further, he alleged that UNHCR and the resident welfare association (RWA) had also complained that the protestors were not wearing masks and they have violated the norms. “Ghani and other Afghan refugees had violated the rules of DDMA. They had committed the offence under IPC Section 188,” he said.

    However, no arrest has been made so far.

    Vasant Vihar Welfare Association had also filed a plea at the Delhi High Court, seeking the removal of the foreign nationals who had gathered outside the UNHCR India office in Vasant Vihar and set up temporary structures, and settling them at an appropriate camp.

    The petitioners, the welfare association and one Bhaskar Chatterjee, through the plea also sought to direct respondents to issue appropriate policy to deal with the nuisance being faced by the residents of Vasant Vihar as COVID-19 protocols were being violated.

    After the Taliban seized control of the war-ravaged Afghanistan on August 15, several Afghan refugees in India protested in front of the UNHCR office, demanding the release of “support letters” from the UN agency to migrate to other countries for better opportunities.