[2020 Northeast Riots] Delhi HC Orders CBI Investigation For Death Of Man Forced To Sing Vande Mataram

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Synopsis

The mother of the deceased contended that the Delhi Police had unlawfully detained her son, Faizan, and had deprived him of necessary medical treatment, leading to his death on February 26, 2020.

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the death of a 23-year-old who had been brutally beaten by the police and coerced into singing ‘Vande Mataram’ during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. 

The bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani granted the petition submitted by Kismatun, Faizan’s mother, who had requested the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine her son's death.

A video surfaced on February 25, 2020, depicting Faizan and four other men lying on the ground while security personnel allegedly ordered them to sing the national anthem and intermittently struck them with batons. Faizan passed away in a hospital on February 26, 2020, one day after being released from a police station where he had been taken following the reported assault.

Rajesh Deo, the Deputy Commissioner of Police at the time, discussed the case with Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. After consultations and legal advice, it was resolved to initiate departmental inquiries against two officers for their lack of assistance to the investigation team and to transfer them to a common unit for the inquiry. This marked the first disciplinary action against police personnel in this case.

In April 2024, Kismatun filed a plea in the Delhi High Court requesting an expedited and thorough investigation into her son’s death. During an 'in-chamber' hearing, she also sought a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.

Case Title: Kismatun v. State