Tareekh pe tareekh: Families of Delhi riot victims seek closure in courtrooms

Mohammad Salman (33), whose West Karawal Nagar house was vandalised and ransacked on February 25, 2020, moved with his family to West Bengal afterwards. In Delhi for a hearing at Karkardooma court earlier this month, Salman said he has to return on April 5 for the next hearing. “I know who set my house on fire, but nothing has happened despite it being three years. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t have taken a video; they would have killed me,” said Salman, a tailor who has made 15 trips to the city since the violence.

Nasir Ahmad used to own a garments shop at Bhagirathi Vihar that was torched by a mob. He sold his house afterwards and now lives in Mustafabad. He is not just a victim of the riots, but a witness in another case. “Initially, police clubbed my FIR with that of one Aas Mohammad. In 2021, after a plea in the HC, a separate FIR was filed. Court visits have become a part of my life; I visited thrice this month,” Ahmad said.

Ahmad was granted round-the-clock security after alleged threats. “I don’t have a steady income. I suffered a loss of Rs 35.40 lakh, and got a compensation of Rs 1,25,000. Now, with a policeman tagging along, a job offer is hard to come by. Two cops, on 12-hour shifts, follow, guard and live with me,” said Ahmad. His family of five now lives on earnings from a small garments shop.

In their Shiv Vihar home, sitting beside Vakil Ahmed, who lost his eyes in an acid attack in February 2020, his wife Mumtaz Begum said, “If police were there, we would not have gone through this.” Their house was also set ablaze, and they sought asylum in Medina Masjid in Shiv Vihar, which too was burnt down. “I know who attacked but the case is far from being solved,” Vakil said.

Four surgeries later, Vakil says he can only “see lights and make out silhouettes”.

“We have to go to court tomorrow. I am clueless about the case progress. They clubbed our FIR with one Furkan’s, but I don’t know this man,” Begum said.

Advocate Salim Malik, appearing for Vakil Ahmed, said though the court had ordered police to file a separate FIR, Delhi Police filed a revision petition against the order.

For some, closure is closer. Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma (26) was killed in the violence and his body was found in a drain. He was stabbed 52 times. His kin said the Delhi Police arrested 10-11 people in the case. “We want the government to move the case to a fast-track court. My brother was called for duty as we lived in Khajuri Khas. We left the house because it was too difficult to stay there. Though the Delhi government has recognised him as a martyr, the central government has not, even though he is an IB officer,” said his brother Ankur Sharma (29).

Other families, like that of Faizan, the 23-year-old who died after he was allegedly assaulted by security personnel who forced him to recite the national anthem, are still on the path to justice. The hearing is ongoing and the final submissions will be heard on March 22.

Then there are two families with little knowledge about whether chargesheets have been filed in their sons’ murder cases. Nasim Alam and Ram Sugarat lost their sons when they were out — one was heading home from work and the other had gone to a grocery shop.

After Mohd Raza Urf Arshad (22) was killed in the violence, Alam and his family left their Karawal Nagar home to settle down in Ghaziabad. “An FIR was filed, but nothing has happened. I went to Karawal Nagar police station last month, but they turned me away. Once, they asked me to go to the Crime Branch; how am I supposed to follow up the case when I don’t even know if a chargesheet has been filed,” he said.

Ram Sugarat, the father of 15-year-old Nitin, who died after being hit by a tear gas shell on February 26, 2020 in Gokulpuri, was given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. “The Crime Branch calls at times, but other than that I don’t know the status of the case,” he said.

Advocate Karuna Nundy had submitted that fixing the maximum compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the death of a minor while the families of adult victims receive Rs 10 lakh was arbitrary and unreasonable. “We have not got Rs 10 lakh, they said it is for adults and my son was 15. We had filed a petition, but nothing has come out of it. Tareekh bad jaati hai, aur kuch nahi ho raha hai (the date keeps getting pushed forward; nothing else happens),” Sugarat said.