4 years after death of Faizan in Northeast Delhi riots, 2 police personnel face ‘departmental inquiry’

“The voice samples of these two policemen were taken and sent for forensic analysis to see if they matched with the voice in the video clip. However, the report suggests the voice samples don’t match, as the voice quality was not clear. The voice samples have been sent to another laboratory in Gujarat for forensic examination,” the officer said. The report from the Gujarat lab is still awaited.

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The video clip of the incident first came to light on February 25, 2020, showing five men, including Faizan, writhing in pain on the ground while a group of security personnel stood by, purportedly telling them to sing the national anthem, and, occasionally, hitting them with their lathis. Faizan died in a hospital on February 26, 2020, a day after his release from a police station where he was taken after he was allegedly assaulted by policemen.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Deo, who is heading the investigation into the case, recently discussed the matter with Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. “After discussions and taking legal opinion, it was decided to initiate departmental inquiries against both the police personnel for not helping the investigation team, and to transfer them to a common unit for their departmental inquiry,” an officer said. This is the first action against police personnel in the case.

When contacted, Deo refused to comment, saying that the matter was sub-judice. Arora and the Delhi Police spokesperson also did not respond to queries on the issue.

Earlier this month, Faizan’s mother, Kismatun, who has filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, sought a thorough investigation into his death with “no further delay”. In an “in-chamber” hearing, she also asked for a court-monitored SIT probe.

While the Delhi Police counsel shared with the court certain aspects of the investigation, the HC said: “They (police) pray that the material and the status of the investigation not be shared with the petitioner, at least at this stage. Certain proposed actions in relation to the investigation have been explained to the court.” The counsel submitted that the police would “proceed expeditiously on those lines”. The next hearing is on May 8.