Police files charge-sheets against 19 in 2 murder cases

NEW DELHI: In the northeast riots, Aqil Ahmed and Musharaff were bludgeoned to death by a mob and their bodies thrown in a drain in the Johripur area.

The Delhi Police on Friday filed charge-sheets against 19 accused in connection with the murders of two brothers during the riots in north-east Delhi in February.

Police said that both crime spots were not covered by any CCTVS but information provided by their sources revealed that a group of men had joined hands on February 25 and 26 after riots were reported from north-east Delhi on February 24.

“Bases on oral evidence and chat records in a Whatsapp group, the identity of the perpetrators was established,” a police statement said.

After identifying the accused, police picked up some suspects who told police during questioning that on February 25 the Whatsapp group was created with 125 members. Subsequently, eyewitnesses to the crime were identified and examined.

Ten persons were arrested in connection with the murder of 40-year-old Aqil.

The charge-sheet included offences of murder, criminal conspiracy, rioting, dacoity and destruction of evidence.

“During investigation, it was revealed that at 9.30 pm on February 26, Aqil was returning home in New Mustafabad when he was waylaid by a mob at Jal Board Puliya, Bhagirathi Vihar, and murdered,” said the police.

His body was thrown in the Johripur drain. Aqil was a car painter and mechanic and is survived by his wife and four children.

Nine people were arrested for the murder of 40-year-old Musharraf, an auto-rickshaw driver.

“Around 8 pm on February 25, rioters disconnected power supply of Bhagirathi Vihar area and attacked the house of Musharraf, dragged him out in the street and bludgeoned him to death. His body was also thrown in the open drain,” the police said.

The charge-sheet in this case pertained to murder, criminal conspiracy, rioting, dacoity, kidnapping, trespass, assault, unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons and destruction of evidence.

According to police, around 9.40 pm on February 27, bodies of three unidentified Muslim men were fished out of the drain in Johripur. On the same day around 4 pm, body of another Muslim victim was found some distance away from the spot where the three bodies were found in Johripur drain.