Delhi Riots: High Court Reserves Order On Plea Seeking SIT Probe Into Death Of Man Forced To Sing 'Vande Mataram'

The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved judgment on a plea moved by mother of 23 year-old Faizan, who was forced to sing Vande Mataram during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, seeking SIT probe into her son's death.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani reserved the verdict in the plea which was filed in 2020.

The incident relates to a video that had gone viral on social media wherein Faizan was seen allegedly being beaten by the police, along with four other men, while being forced to sing Vande Mataram.

Advocates Vrinda Grover, Soutik Banerjee and Devika Tulsiani appeared for the mother. SPP Amit Prasad appeared for Delhi Police.

It is the mother's case that the Delhi Police had illegally detained the man and denied him critical health care as a result of which he succumbed to injuries on February 26, 2020.

Faizan died at city's GTB hospital within 24 hours of his release from Jyoti Nagar police station, where he was taken after being allegedly assaulted by police officers.

In April, the mother had contended that thorough investigation in relation to her son's death brooks “no further delay.”

Grover had relied upon a recent Supreme Court ruling in Awungshi Chirmayo and Anr. v. Government of NCT of Delhi and Ors. and submitted that in a similar case, the Apex Court has considered it appropriate to handover the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) based on the premise that even if the probe was fair in that case, it was seen to be ineffective.

The mother had also told court that her son's death is a “hate crime and custodial murder”. He was “targeted for his religion,” Grover had told court.

In 2022, a coordinate bench had questioned the Delhi Police on delay in investigating the case and sought a detailed status report under the signature of the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Title: Kismatun v. State