One of main conspirators in Head Constable Ratan Lal’s murder held
The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Wednesday said it has arrested one of the main conspirators involved in the murder of Head Constable Ratan Lal during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.
The accused has been identified as Mohd Ayaz (53) a resident of Northeast Delhi’s Chand Bagh area, he had been evading arrest for over three years and was declared a proclaimed offender in the case. A reward of Rs 1 lakh was announced for his arrest.
The arrest was made by a team from the Special Cell/New Delhi Range (NDR), led by Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACsP) Lalit Mohan Negi and Hridaya Bhushan, along with Inspectors Pramod Chauhan, Shivraj Rawat, and Alok Kumar, under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajiv Ranjan Singh.
The accused, Mohd Ayaz was apprehended on Saturday, from a village near Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was wanted in connection with the murder of Head Constable Ratan Lal, while Assistant Commissioner of Police Anuj Kumar and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Amit Sharma sustained severe injuries during the riots.
HGS Dhaliwal, Special CP (Special Cell), said, Mohd Ayaz, along with his brother Khalid and others, initiated an anti-CAA/NRC protest at Chand Bagh, Delhi, in January 2020, similar to the Shaheen Bagh demonstration. On February 23, 2020, a secret meeting was held in the basement of Mohd Ayaz’s residence, during which it was decided to block the road with sticks and iron rods to gain international attention during the visit of US President Donald Trump.
Subsequently, as part of the pre-planned conspiracy, rioters blocked the road leading to Jafrabad Metro Station, resulting in widespread rioting in various parts of the North-East and Shahdara Districts of Delhi from February 24 to 26, 2020. Over 50 people lost their lives, hundreds were injured, and significant damage was caused to government and private properties. More than 750 cases were registered in different police stations of Shahdara and North-East districts, Dhaliwal mentioned.
During the riots, a large mob gathered at the Chand Bagh protest site on the morning of February 24, 2020, and attempted to block the main Wazirabad Road. When the police intervened, the accused Mohd Ayaz, his brother Khalid, and other rioters pelted stones and attacked the police, resulting in the death of Head Constable Ratan Lal and severe injuries to other police officers. A case was registered at PS Dayalpur, Delhi, which is currently being investigated by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police. Mohd Ayaz and Khalid had been on the run, evading arrest in this case for the past three years, Dhaliwal said.
