Delhi violence: Police files chargesheet in Rajdhani School Faisal Farooque case

Jun 03, 2020

New Delhi [India], June 3 : Delhi Police Crime Branch on Wednesday filed a chargesheet in a Karkardooma court related to Faisal Farooque, the owner of Rajdhani School, in connection with the violence in Shiv Vihar during the north-east Delhi riots in February this year.
The chargesheet was filed before the court of metropolitan magistrate Richa Parihar under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to rioting, criminal conspiracy, dacoity, Promoting enmity between different groups and attempt to murder and the Arms Act.
This case was registered for the violence that took place on February 24 outside Rajdhani Public School in Shiv Vihar area of New Mustafabad here on the complaint of the owner of DRP Convent Public School, which is adjacent to the Rajdhani School.
According to the chargesheet, the rioters had camped inside the school and fired bullets, threw petrol bombs, acid, bricks, stones, and other missiles using an improvised large iron catapult, specially installed for the purpose, from its terrace.
"The rioters had used ropes to climb down from the terrace of Rajdhani School into the compound of DRP Convent School and then the mob had set the school on fire. The mob had looted the computers and other expensive items from DRP Convent School. They also burned down a building belonging to Anil Sweets in front of Rajdhani School," the chargesheet said.
"Dilbar Negi, an employee with Anil Sweets, was trapped inside and his charred dead body was found later by the police. Eighteen people, including Faisal Farooque, who is the owner of Rajdhani School, have been arrested in this case," it added.
The police, in the chargesheet, said that during the investigation it was found that Farooque had hatched a conspiracy to precipitate and aggravate riots in and around the school.
"On his instructions, the adjacent and rival DRP Convent School, two parking lots run by the other party and the building of Anil Sweets was systematically destroyed by the mob. This is evident from the statement of witnesses, which include the guard at DRP School and his own guard at Rajdhani School," the chargesheet read.
It said that Farooque's call detail was also analyzed and his links with prominent members of Popular Front of India, Pinjratod group, Jamia Coordination Committee, Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz and some other fundamental Muslim clerics were discovered.
In February, clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi between the groups supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which led to the deaths of at least 53 people.