‘A hate crime’: Delhi HC orders CBI probe into death of Muslim man beaten, forced to sing national anthem

Delhi High Court orders CBI probe into death of Faizan during 2020 Delhi riots, criticizes police investigation.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the probe into the death of 23-year-old Faizan, who was beaten up and forced to sing the national anthem by policemen during the 2020 north-east Delhi riots, from Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The incident dates back to February 2020 when a video clip had gone viral showing Faizan and four other Muslim men, apparently injured, being beaten up by the police with batons and forced to sing the national anthem and ‘Vande Mataram’.

Kismatun, Faizan’s mother, sought a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into her son’s death.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani questioned the investigating agency for failing to “conclusively identify” the policemen involved in the case even after four years of investigation. “More than four and a half years have elapsed since. However, not even one of the policemen involved in the abuse and assault has been conclusively identified in the course of the investigation so far,” the judge said.

“It is extremely important to note that this case presents allegations of gross violation of human rights, in as much as the unlawful actions of the policemen, who are yet to be identified, were motivated and driven by religious bigotry and, therefore, would amount to a ‘hate crime’,” the court said.

Justice Bhambhani said, “The investigation in the present case has evidently been tardy, sketchy, and conveniently sparing of the persons who are suspected to be involved in brutally assaulting the petitioner’s son.”

“What is worse is that the suspects were entrusted to act as custodians of the law, and were in a position of power and authority, but seemed to have been driven by bigoted mindsets,” he added.