Police question filmmakers; nine former IPS officers question probe

New Delhi: After arresting former JNU student leader Umar Khalid under the stringent UAPA in the main "conspiracy" case related to the north-east Delhi riots, the Special Cell on Monday questioned film producer Rahul Roy and documentary filmmaker Saba Dewan in the same case. Both joined the probe in the afternoon.

And even as the Delhi Police is racing against time to file a chargesheet in the case by this week, nine former IPS officers wrote an open letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava, criticising the way the probe into the riots cases are being conducted. The letter has been signed by the likes of a former West Bengal Police DGP, a former Gujarat Police DGP and a former Special Director of the CBI among others.

The former IPS officers said, "We would like to say that it indeed is a sad day in the history of Indian police that investigations and challans submitted in the court by Delhi Police in connection with riots of this year are widely believed to be partisan and politically motivated. It pains all those police officers, serving as well as retired, who believe in upholding the rule of law and our Constitution."

They also referred to the note about resentment among the Hindu community and said, "Such a majoritarian attitude in the police leadership leads to a travesty of justice for the victims of violence and their family members belonging to minority communities."

Meanwhile, a senior police officer confirmed that Roy and Dewan were questioned on Monday. Sources said that police are probing the role of a WhatsApp group created in December 2019, by cultural and political activists in regards to the anti-CAA protests. Both of them were the members of that group.

Sources said police also wanted to corroborate the statements of people whom they have summoned. The police are checking whether members of this group were in any way involved in instigating the riots. Several members of the WhatsApp group have been questioned so far, including DU professor Apoorvanand, whose phone was also seized.

Police have also questioned Roy and Dewan in connection with First Information Report number 59/2020, the same FIR in which Jamia Millia Islamia Coordination Committee's media coordinator Safoora Zargar and other students and activists have been arrested.

The Delhi Police may file a chargesheet in the case in upcoming days under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) which is expected to have the names of more than 10 people. It is expected that the focus will be on the "funding and conspiracy" in

riots.

Commissioner Shrivastava confirmed while speaking at a webinar on Monday that the chargesheet in the case would be filed by Thursday and maintained steadfastly that the police were conducting the probe in the riots cases with the utmost care and professionalism. He added that they had already solved 340 of the 751 riots cases.