[Delhi riots] "Neither here nor there:" Delhi High Court on sealed cover report of Police in death of youth forced to sing national anthem

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up the Delhi Police for the slow progress of investigation into the death of 23-year-old Faizan, who was forced to sing the national anthem allegedly by some policemen during the Delhi riots of February 2020 [Kismatun v State of NCT of Delhi Through Home Department and Ors]..Justice Mukta Gupta expressed her displeasure over the status report filed by the Delhi Police in a sealed cover, saying that it had nothing and the report was “neither here nor there”..The single-Judge noted that the though there were five people who were seen to be beaten up by the police in a viral video, their statements before the Magistrate have not been recorded even after two years since the incident.“You have done your level best? These were five children who were assaulted. One has died and four are surviving. It is an offence of murder, right? In this case, you have not taken the help of eyewitnesses but gone around the world,” Justice Gupta remarked..The stern remarks from the Court came as it was hearing a petition filed by Faizan’s mother, Kismatun.The petition alleged that Faizan was brutally assaulted by the policemen at Kardampuri and then taken into illegal detention, where he was denied any medical attention, which ultimately led to his death. His mother, therefore, sought a Court-monitored inquiry into the entire incident. .Counsel for the Delhi Police submitted that the report was filed in a sealed cover since it is an ongoing investigation and people are being identified.In the last hearing, the Court was informed that till now one head-constable has been identified and questioned in relation to Faizan's death..Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Vrinda Grover told the Court that there are phases in which the incident took place. While Faizan and others were first beaten up on the road in northeast Delhi, they were later taken to the police station at Jyoti Nagar for an illegal detention.Grover submitted that despite the fact that Faizan died just hours after being released, the Delhi Police is yet to even seal the documents at the Jyoti Nagar Police Station, and not a single officer on duty has been questioned so far.She questioned the Delhi Police for filing the report in a sealed cover even though there was no such direction from the Court..Meanwhile, the Court has now listed the case for further hearing on March 15 when Grover will be allowed to examine the report.