After media reports emerged claiming that the Delhi Police has named Sitaram Yechury, Yogendra Yadav and Jayanti Ghosh in the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots case, the Delhi Police has denied naming them as co-conspirators in a supplementary charge-sheet filed in the riots case.
It is clarified that Shri Sitaram Yechury, Shri Yogendra Yadav and Smt Jayati Ghosh have not been arraigned as accused in the supplementary chargesheet filed by Delhi Police.
— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) September 13, 2020
The Delhi Police has clarified that no such names have been included in the charge-sheet.
Referring to a PTI tweet on the subject, a Delhi Police spokesperson said, “In a case related to Jafrabad riots…it has been mentioned in one of the online news agency reports that the names are part of the disclosure statement of one of the accused in connection with organising and addressing the anti-CAA protests.”
“The disclosure statement has been truthfully recorded as narrated by the accused person,” the Delhi Police said. “However, a person is not arraigned as an accused only on the basis of a disclosure statement. It is only on the existence of sufficient corroborative evidence that further legal action is taken. The matter is currently sub judice.
On Saturday, PTI had reported that the Delhi Police has named CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, left-wing activist Jayati Ghosh, Apoorvanand and documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy as co-conspirators in the communal violence that transpired in the national capital in February.
Delhi Police names CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh, DU professor and activist Apoorvanand, and documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy in supplementary charge sheet as co-conspirators in Delhi riots case
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 12, 2020
The report had said that the supplementary charge-sheet filed by the Delhi police cited “disclosure” statements by activists of far-left group Pinjra Tod – Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, who had allegedly confessed that both were given directions by Ghosh, Apoorvanand and Roy to protest in different parts of Delhi against the CAA and NRC.
Similarly, reports had stated that Yechury and Yadav were named in Jamia Millia student Gulfisha Fathima’s disclosure statement, stating that they took part in anti-CAA demonstrations to “provoke and mobilise” crowds.
All the three ‘students’ are facing charges under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their involvement in the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots.
In a tweet, Yogendra Yadav had called the PTI report “factually incorrect” and had clarified the above names were mentioned only in passing and were not part of the supplementary charge-sheet or even as accused.
“One passing reference to me and Yechury, in an unauthenticated police statement (not admissible in court) by one accused,” he had tweeted.
This is factually incorrect report, hope @PTI_News withdraws it.
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 12, 2020
Supplementary chargesheet does NOT mention me as co-conspirator, or even as accused. One passing reference to me and Yechury, in an unauthenticated police statement (not admissible in court) by one accused. https://t.co/QurXmQdOr2
Earlier, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury had attacked the Delhi Police, saying that its “illegitimate, illegal actions” were a “direct outcome” of the politics done by the BJP’s top leadership.
Disclosure statements or confessions are recorded by the police under Section 161 of CrPC during the investigation. But, they are not admissible in the court as evidence.
