International Amnesty: Delhi Police “Involved and Active” in February Riots
New Delhi, MINA – Police in Delhi were “involved and actively participating” in the riots and violence in February that killed 53 people, according to an investigation by International Amnesty in India.
The death victims in the religious riots was mostly Muslim, Al Jazeera reported.
“Delhi police personnel were involved and were active participants in the violence that took place in Delhi in February 2020, however in the past six months not a single investigation has been opened into human rights abuses committed by Delhi police,” Amnesty said in a statement on Friday.
Amnesty said it spoke with riot victims, witnesses, human rights activists and retired police officers.
The human rights institute also analyzed several videos of the violence for investigation, which revealed “a pattern of gross human rights violations committed by Delhi police during the unrest.”
The rights group called on the Indian government to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into alleged human rights abuses by police in the worst religious violence to have occurred in the capital in decades.
The Delhi police reported to the United Home Affairs Minister (MHA) and it is very surprising that there has been no attempt by the MHA to hold the Delhi police to account until now, ”said Avinash Kumar, Executive Director of Amnesty International India.
Deadly violence erupted in February after weeks of peaceful sit-in protests by Muslims in northeast Delhi against a controversial new citizenship law targeted by mass Hindu nationalists. More than 500 people were also injured, according to the government.
Police are accused of supporting the masses or looking away when the capital was set on fire.
Amnesty’s investigations revealed that other abuses by the Delhi police included excessive violence against protesters, torture in custody and breaking up the protest site. However, the police and government denied the allegations.
“This ongoing state-sponsored impunity sends a message that law enforcement officials can commit gross human rights violations and avoid accountability,” Kumar said. (T/Hju/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
