N-E Delhi riots: Police allege lawyer instigated complainant to depose falsely, register FIR

new delhi: The Delhi police informed a court here on Thursday that an FIR has been registered in a case related to the alleged use of forged documents as genuine on judicial record in a north-east Delhi riots matter.

The court had earlier asked the police to investigate the matter after they alleged that affidavits submitted in the case related to the communal violence in Dayalpur area in February this year, were attested by a counsel who had expired in 2017.

The Commissioner of Delhi Police informed the court that an FIR has been lodged against unknown persons under sections 182 (false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person), 193 (false evidence), 420 (cheating), 464 (false document), 466 (forgery of record of Court), 471 (using as genuine forged document), 472 (counterfeit seal), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

The police further alleged that a lawyer had allegedly instigated the complainant to depose falsely in the case. They had informed the court through its report that complainant Irshad Ali had appeared before the Additional Commissioner of Police (Gokulpuri) on August 12. Ali's shop in Dayalpur area was allegedly looted and set on fire by the rioters during the communal violence in February.

"During the investigation, he (Ali) was enquired about the names of Deepak, Navneet and Mintu, as mentioned in his complaint. He said that he knows them by their names and does not know anything about them personally. He also stated that he does not identify the accused persons in the video," the report had said. It had further stated that Ali had alleged that "one lawyer namely Mehmood Pracha called him in his office and told him that he has a complainant of a similar incident and there was also an eyewitness, who witnessed the whole incident as he was present there on February 24 and February 25."

"Advocate Mehmood Pracha also said that if the complaint of Sharif is attached with your complaint, it will make your case stronger and you will get an eyewitness of the incident regarding looting your shop. It is pertinent to mention here that the present complainant Irshad Ali does not know or met eyewitness Sharif ever," the report had alleged.

Pracha, who has been appearing for the accused and complainants in several riots cases, said that if a free and fair investigation is conducted in the matter, the real culprits will be found as the police officials had filed the report.

The submissions were made before Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav who was hearing the bail pleas of Mohd Abid and Arshad Qayyum in the case of rioting in the Dayalpur area.

Police had further claimed that during the investigation, the statement of Dilshad, Ali's brother, was recorded, in which he had alleged that on February 24, he was at his home with his brother and when he got a call that his shop had been looted, both of them reached the shop and it had been looted.

It had further claimed that during the investigation, the statement of Shakil, brother of one of the accused Gulfam, was also recorded, in which he had stated that he does not know anyone named Ali. It was revealed that the eyewitness was already wanted in another case related to the February riots and was still absconding, the report had alleged. It had further alleged that the affidavit of Ali, which was submitted before the court, was attested by a counsel who had expired in 2017.