[Delhi Riots] It was a hate-crime: Mother of deceased Muslim youth who was forced to sing National Anthem tells Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday took on record a statement of the Delhi Police that the evidence related to 23-year-old Faizan, who lost his life to police brutality in the wake of the Delhi Riots, have been kept in safe custody. .Faizan was allegedly beaten up and forced to sing the National Anthem by some Delhi Police officials during the riots. According to his mother Kismatun, he succumbed to injuries sustained after the police thrashed him..Appearing for the Delhi Police, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad stated that the original daily diaries, arrest memo and other documents related to the case will be produced before the Court as and when required.Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani recorded the submission after Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Kismatun, expressed apprehensions regarding the same.Grover said that the affidavit filed by the Delhi Police does not confirm that evidence like duty roster, arrest memo and station diaries of the relevant period have been preserved in original..The Court was hearing a plea filed by Kismatun seeking a court-monitored inquiry into Faizan's death. The petition alleged that Faizan was brutally assaulted by policemen at Kardampuri and then taken into illegal detention at the Jyoti Nagar Police Station, where he was denied any medical attention, ultimately leading to his death..While arguing the case, Grover said that Faizan's death is a hate-crime which should have been acknowledged by the Delhi Police leadership."This is hate-crime. I have been targeted for my religion. We know what happened in other jurisdictions. We know the case of George Floyd," Grover stated.She questioned Delhi Police's version and its investigation in the case, stating that surprisingly on the day of the incident, none of the CCTV cameras in the Jyoti Nagar Police Station as well as at Kardampuri were working.Grover further said that till now, the Delhi Police was only investigating the videos that surfaced where Faizan was thrashed, but has not said much on whether it is also investigating the developments at Jyoti Nagar Police Station..SPP Amit Prasad said that the Police is investigating the matter and that voice samples of some of the policemen involved in the incident have been sent for forensic analysis. He said that it is difficult to identify the police officers using the videos of the incident, since they do not reveal any faces. "Five people were injured in the incident. Of the four people who survived, two did not come forward and two who did have said that nothing happened in the police station. They have also failed to identify the police officials who allegedly thrashed them during the riots," Prasad stated. .After hearing the submissions briefly, the Court listed the case for further arguments on May 8.