SN Shrivastava, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, has written a detailed reply to ex-IPS officer Julio Ribeiro clarifying his doubts about the North East Delhi Riots investigation. Shrivastava said in his response that there is no discrimination based on caste or religion, and the whole investigation is backed by documentary and scientific evidence.
https://twitter.com/DelhiPolice/status/1305861302187896835?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwShrivastava acknowledged that he has received Ribeiro’s letter on 12th September, which later appeared in national dailies. He said, being commissioner of Police, Delhi, it is his duty to put things in the right perspective. The Delhi Police has not revealed many details of the investigation other than those that are in the charge sheets and status reports submitted in the court. Details of the cases that are still under investigation have not come to the public’s eyes yet.
While dismissing the allegation raised by Riberio, Shrivastava mentioned that when he talked to him on the phone, the ex-cop acknowledged that he does not have first-hand information about the cases. He further added that it was clear Ruberio did not contact any police officer from Delhi Police to understand the actual situation. Being an ex-police officer, he would agree that it is impossible to come to the right conclusion based on the limited information available in public.
More than 750 FIRs registered
Shrivastava said that Riberio has correctly mentioned there are 751 FIRs registered in the Delhi Riots. The large number of FIRs shows the intentions of fair dealing of Delhi Police are clear. He further said that though the investigations are not based on the caste or religion, to clear the doubts in everyone’s minds, the number of FIRs registered on complaints by minority communities [Muslims] are more than 410 while those of other community clocks to over 190. The remaining FIRs were based on Daily Diary entries.
He emphasized on the fact that the arrestees are almost equally distributed among both communities. “It [police] has arrested 1,571 persons irrespective of their caste or religion. Almost all the accused persons arrested in heinous offenses have been remanded to judicial custody by courts of law and not admitted to bail. Charge sheets in many cases have been filed while the investigation is continuing in many others,” Shrivastava further added.
False narrative being pushed by several entities
Shrivastava pointed out in his letter that several entities, including IPS officers and people from civil society, are criticizing the riot probe and pushing a false narrative of biased investigation. He said, “Several entities who have their reasons to weave a web of deception and to push a false narrative of bias and insensitivity on the part of the police. It is best that the criminal justice system, with its inherent checks and balances, may be allowed work, lest lending one’s name inadvertently imparts a false aura of credibility and authenticity to these concocted and motivated stories. Also, anybody aggrieved with the investigation can always seek judicial remedies.”
Ribeiro letter to Delhi Police
Without fully apprising himself about the actual status of the investigation of the North East Delhi Riots, ex-super cop Julio Ribeiro wrote to Delhi Police expressing his concerns calling the investigation miscarriage of justice in northeast Delhi. In an interview, he had claimed that he had not seen this kind of one-sided action by Police before.
He wrote, “I write to you with a heavy heart. As a true patriot and a former proud member of the Indian Police Service, I appeal to you to ensure a fair probe into the 753 FIRs registered against peaceful protesters who rightly apprehend injustices born from bias and hate against a minority community. The Delhi Police has taken action against peaceful protesters but deliberately failed to register cognizable offenses against those who made hate speeches which triggered the riots in Northeast Delhi. It troubles sane and apolitical persons, like me, why Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma have not been arraigned before the courts of law while deeply hurt Muslim women, peacefully protesting against discriminations based on religion, were lodged for months together in jail.”
Ribeiro is a Padma Bhushan awardee. He had served as Mumbai police commissioner and director-general of Punjab and Gujarat and the Central Reserve Police Force during his tenure as an IPS officer.
About anti-Hindu Delhi Riots
In February 2020, North East Delhi burnt due to anti-Hindu riots. During the investigation, Delhi Police have arrested ex-AAP MLA Tahir Hussain, who is allegedly the mastermind of the riots. The investigation in the cases registered in the pretext of the Delhi Riots is still on. You can check OpIndia’s report on how anti-Hindu Delhi Riots unfolded available in Kindle format here.