By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Two weeks after the riots during Diwali days in East Delhi’s Trilokpuri, two separate Fact Finding teams on Tuesday came out with scathing findings: one has blamed the “communal outfits” for instigating the riots while the other has blamed Delhi police for “one sided action” against Muslims.
“Communal outfits were involved in engineering riots at Trilokpuri and these communal organizations attacked with a preconceived conspiracy against minorities,” the Fact Finding report by NCHRO claimed.
TCN file photo
The second report, by a joint team of APCR, PUCL and JIH, said: “Initially, police was very casual which lead the violence to go on and later, when the police did become active, it took one sided action against the Muslim community.”
The National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO) team visited the locality several times and interviewed several local residents and police department personnel. On the other hand, the joint team of Association of Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Jamaat e Islami Hind (JIH) visited the area on October 27, 30 and November 2, 3.
The APCR, PUCL and JIH team said: “On the basis of statements of the victims and the relevant documents we observed that it is clear that initially police was very casual, which lead the violence to go on. And when it became active, then it took one sided action against the Muslim community. Shops owned by Muslims were burnt but no FIRs were registered as yet. Most of the arrested persons are Muslims. Violence on Muslim women by the male police was also reported.”
The team hence recommended “criminal action should be taken against the responsible police personnel after an independent inquiry; FIRs be registered without any delay; proper compensation be provided to the victims whose shops were burnt and vandalized and due and fair process of law be followed for those who were arrested.”
The NCHRO’s national secretary Prof P Koya, while releasing the report, said: “The facts collected by our organization points towards the fact that the communal outfits worked round the clock to raise the communal friction, such that even the smallest of incident was used to convert it in a riot. The ex-MLA of BJP Sunil Vaidh’s role is not above suspicion in this regard.”
Freelance journalist Sunil Kumar, a member of the Fact Finding team, said, “There was a commotion in block 20 after a verbal spat on October 22, 2014, which these communal outfits spread into entire neighborhood. It’s said that the sparking incident of this fight was about drinking and consuming beef near the Mata ki Chowki installed temporarily.”
The members of the first fact finding team comprised Ansaar Indori, state coordinator of NCHRO, journalists Sunil Kumar and activist Siddiq Kappan while members of the second team were Akhlaq Ahmad, Adv Abubakr Sabbaq and Kashif Ahmed Faraz (APCR); Adv N D Pancholi, Adv Amit, Malathi Mathrin and Swati (PUCL) and Inamur Rahman and Ahsan (JIH).
In the conclusion, seeking to ally the allegations from the other side, the NCHRO Fact Finding report raised scores of questions: The fight started in Block 20 (so) if the riot was not organized, then how did it reach the entire neighborhood? Where were the elected representatives (MP, MLA, and Councilor)? What did Sunil Vaidh say in such short duration of assembly that took place near his house? Can anyone pacify a violent mob in 15 seconds? 27, 15 blocks didn’t indulge in stoning, then where were the actual perpetrators from, and who were they actually? Why only Muslim-owned shops were burnt if a Muslim mob was instigated by so-called Masjid announcement etc? Why did police release the miscreant who started all this by creating a fight in Block 20? Who was behind this release? Who is Joint Commissioner Rathore, who spoke to Gaurav Talwar’s brother? What was police doing during the continued arson and why did the fire brigade vehicles reach after two hours? Why did the police not register FIRs regarding the burnt shops?