Cops deseal torched Shiv Vihar school
nNEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Wednesday desealed Rajdhani Public Senior Secondary School in north-east Delhi’s Shiv Vihar, four days after it cordoned off the building following allegations that a mob used its terrace during the riots that hit the district last month. The move triggered a protest by local residents who demanded that the school be resealed.
Delhi police on Friday sealed the school’s building that was damaged and torched in the communal violence between February 23 and 25, and arrested its owner in connection with the riots that left 53 people dead and more than 400 injured.
Wednesday’s protest was lead by Hari Singh Solanki, whose son Rahul Solanki (26) was killed during the riots. “My son was killed in the attack that took place from the terrace of this school building. The school was illegally desealed by the owners. We will continue our protest till it gets sealed again. It should not be desealed till those responsible for my son’s death are arrested,” he said.
Delhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava said that the school was shut temporarily for a forensic examination. “The temporary public access restriction was made as the forensic examination of the building was being done. On Wednesday, the restriction was removed after the forensic experts completed their inspection and collected necessary evidence from the school,” he said.
On March 7, police arrested Faisal Farooq, the owner of the school, in connection with the violence. Delhi police spokesperson MS Randhawa said, the school owner was arrested on charges of rioting and a case regarding this was being probed by a special investigation team (SIT).
Another senior police official said that Farooq has been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code including 147, 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 436 (arson) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy), among others. “The initial probe and evidences collected from the crime scene suggested the owner’s role in the riots and destruction of a neighbouring school,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Shams Khwaja, the lawyer representing the school, said Farooq was “falsely implicated”.
“The allegations against my client are completely false. If a mob used the premises of my client for creating violence, it does not mean that he had to do anything with it. My client is an educationist and he has nothing to do with the riots. He was at his home at that time and trying to contact the police,” he said.
The school had to restart the annual examinations for classes 6 to 9 and 11 from Wednesday. Due to the prevailing situation, school principal Sadaf Faisal that the school management decided to postpone the exams. “We received a call from the Delhi police on Wednesday morning saying that they are going to deseal the school building. Two police officials visited the school at around 11 am and removed the locks. After a while, a group of locals started to protest outside the school building. How can the police allow a protest when section 144 is being imposed in the area?” she said, referring to prohibitory orders that ban the public assembly of four or more people .
“We have decided to further postpone the exams to ensure safety of the students. We cannot take the risk by calling students to the school amid chaos,” she added.