Rumours led to violence in Chand Bagh area during Delhi riots, says police
Jun 24, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 24 : Rumours that some supporters of BJP leader Kapil Mishra had set fire to a anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest 'pandal', sparked violence in Chand Bagh area of northeast Delhi in February, Delhi Police said on Wednesday.
The details surfaced in the probe pertaining to the murder of Delhi Police head constable Ratan Lal during the violence in the northeast part of the national capital.
According to police, rumours about the fire were deliberately spread by rioters among the people in the Chand Bagh area to incite violence.
In the recorded witnesses statement, mentioned in the chargesheet, it has come up that some rioters were spreading rumours that supporters of BJP leader Kapil Mishra had set on fire an anti-CAA protest 'pandal' in the area, police said. However, the police said that the witnesses did not see any such fire.
Officials said that several rumours were spread during the violence, deliberately by mischievous elements, to incite violence.
Notably, the chargesheet in the head constable Ratan Lal murder case also mentions the name of Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav. Though he has not been made named as an accused.
The chargesheet mentions that Yadav had given a speech at the anti-CAA protest ahead of the violence in the Chand Bagh area of the national capital, police said.
In February, violence erupted at several places in the northeast area of Delhi between groups supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which led to the deaths of at least 53 people.
