Ex-cong MLA among three quizzed over anti-caa stir
NEWDELHI: Former Congress legislator Asif Mohammad Khan, Jamia Millia Islamia student Chandan Kumar, and local politician Ashu Khan were questioned for seven hours on Friday to probe their alleged role in the violence during the anti-caa protests at the varsity and New Friends Colony on December 15.
Investigators also seized their cellphones, which will now be sent to a forensic laboratory to retrieve deleted data, call records and other information that are crucial in the probe. The police said they are bound to appear for investigation as and when required, the police said.
On Friday, one more suspect, Mohammad Furkan (26) was also arrested in connection with the violence and vandalism, taking the total number of arrests to 17 in two cases registered at Jamia Nagar and New Friends Colony (NFC) police stations. A total of 102 people, including Furkan arrested in NFC case, have been arrested so far by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing 10 cases registered at eight different police stations across South, Northeast, Central and Shahdara districts following the violence and vandalism during anti-caa protests last month.
Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Rajesh Deo, who is heading the SIT, said that Furkan was arrested because video footage allegedly shows him carrying a can of oil used to torch buses in NFC on December 15.
“Furkan had gone into hiding since the case was registered. Raids were on to nab him. He was caught from Jamia Nagar area on Thursday night by the local police. They handed him over to us. We interrogated Furkan and later arrested him,” added Deo.
Asif Mohammad, Ashu Khan and Chandan Kumar, who is also a member of the Left-backed All India Students’ Union (AISA), reached the SIT’S Chanakyapuri office around 11am on Friday after notices were served to them the previous night, asking them to join the investigation and record their statement. The three were named in the FIR registered at Jamia Nagar police station.
An SIT official, requesting anonymity, said each of the three were given a set of 18 questions and asked to answer them.