Delhi anti-Hindu riots: Delhi police follows UP’s lead, releases poster of 20 accused Islamists, announces reward for information

Pictures of 20 accused involved in Chand Bagh riots, image via Zee News

In a new development, the Delhi police have released the pictures of the 20 most wanted criminals, involved in arson and rioting in the Chand Bagh area of Delhi in February this year. Releasing the poster of wanted Islamists in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots, the police have said that the identity of those who come forward with information would not be revealed.

20 criminals whose information the Delhi Police wants

As per reports, the police have also announced a reward for information on the whereabouts of the accused. The cops will also put up posters of the rioters in public places, similar to that of Uttar Pradesh police. During the Delhi riots, head constable Ratan Lal was lynched to death by a violent Islamist mob while he was trying to on his duty on main Wazirabad Road in Chand Bagh.

From the 24th of February to the 25th of February, Delhi burnt with perhaps one of the worst anti-Hindu riots that the country has seen in recent times. One of the main protagonists of the sinister ploy was Tahir Hussain, the AAP leader who spearheaded the Delhi riots in which IB staffer Ankit Sharma was murdered brutally by a mob and several Hindu properties were burnt to ashes.

The involvement of Umar Khalid has also come to the fore. Khalid, who is now in Police custody, is accused of planning the riots remotely.

Ratan Lal’s murder was a part of a wider conspiracy to trigger communal riots in Delhi

It was reported at the time that the police had essentially gone to speak to the mob, pacify them and ask them not to continue with their illegal march, and it was then that they were attacked.

During the perusal of the charge sheet, OpIndia noticed that several witnesses who were examined by the authorities attested to the fact that before Ratan Lal was lynched to death by the Islamist mob, two other police officer was held hostage by the mob. Last month, a Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the interim bail pleas of two accused persons, Mohamad Ayyub and Saleem Khan involved in the murder 

UP government leads the way

The Uttar Pradesh Police under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has re-enforced a crackdown on rioters who indulged in rampant violence in the state under the garb of protests under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and have again put up posters with names and photographs and details of the rioters.

The recent posters have the pictures and addresses of eight rioters who were booked under the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 and have been declared absconders. One of the ‘accused’ is Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas. The eight are Mohammad Alam, Mohammad Tahir, Rizwan, Rafat Ali, Ahsan, Irshad, Hasan and Irshad. The Uttar Pradesh government has also announced a cash reward of Rs 5000 for anyone who provides information about the absconding rioters. 

Dibakar Dutta: Centre-Right. Political analyst. Assistant Editor @Opindia. Reach me at dibakar@opindia.com