The National Capital of Delhi had seen violent clashes and anti-Hindu riots that had broken out on the 23rd of February. In the three days that the riots raged on, the seeds of which were sown in November when the anti-CAA riots were started by Islamists, saw over 50 people dead and hundreds injured. During the riots, an image of head constable Deepak Dahiya standing strong and defiant in the face of Islamist Shahrukh Pathan brandishing a gun and the opening fire had gone viral.
On the 3rd of March, Shahrukh Pathan was arrested for his role in the riots. Now, the Delhi Police has registered the first FIR in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots case and named Shahrukh Pathan for his role in the riots.
Shahrukh was one of the first persons to be arrested during the anti-Hindu riots.
The police have also named Kaleem Ahmad and Ishtiyak Mallik for aiding Pathan on the spot and sheltering him. A weapon too has been recovered from Pathan with two live rounds. The police have lodged 48 cases and two SITs constituted by the Crime Branch are probing into it.
The Delhi police have established that the Islamist shooter was in constant touch with the members of the Chenu gang, however, they are not yet sure whether he was an active member of the gang or not.
The semi-automatic 7.65-bore pistol used by Shahrukh was made in Bihar and was procured by him about two years ago.
Sources informed the news agency IANS that Shahrukh was given shelter in Bareilly by one of the friends of his father who is also allegedly a drug supplier.
Investigations into the case have reportedly revealed that Shahrukh’s father, Shawar Pathan, who came to Delhi in 1985, is also a criminal and has several cases registered against him on charges of drug peddling and smuggling fake currency notes. He had, in fact, been released on bail just three days ahead of Shahrukh’s shooting incident during the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi’s Maujpur area in broad daylight on 24 February.
The father was reportedly born as a Sikh who had later converted to Islam for marrying a Muslim woman. According to reports, Shahrukh’s mother also is said to be a notorious drug peddler.
On the day of US President Donald Trump’s visit to India, the national capital had witnessed unprecedented violence. A Delhi police constable has lost his life in the riots that have ensued in the national capital in wake of the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Another DCP has been injured during clashes in Delhi’s Gokulpuri. An IB official, Ankit Sharma, was brutally murdered and his dead body was thrown in a drain. Amidst the riots, a video of a man opening fire at the police, and one policeman bravely standing in his way emerged. The shooter, identified as Shahrukh, has now been arrested.
