Two men, Noor Mohammad and Nabi Mohammad were convicted and sentenced by a Delhi Court in the Delhi anti-Hindu Riots on the 31st of January 2024. While sentencing the two, the Court observed that the crimes which were committed were motivated by hate and greed.
“Riotous acts were guided by hatred, while robbery and loot of the cash amount were guided by greed,” Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala of Karkardooma Courts said while sentencing Noor Mohammad alias Noora. Noora and Nabi Mohammad were convicted earlier this month in FIR 221 of 2020, registered at Police Station Khajuri Khas. Noora was convicted for being a member of a riotous mob which vandalized and set on fire various shops, robbed some individuals and violated a prohibitory order passed by the Police. Nabi Mohammad was convicted for the robbery.
While Noora was sentenced to four years in prison (sentences to run concurrently for various offences), Nabi Mohammad was sentenced to imprisonment already undergone by him in the case.
Convict Noor Mohammad @ Noora has been held guilty for offences punishable under Section 148/427/435/436 IPC read with Section 149 IPC. Convict Noor Mohammad @ Noora has been further held guilty for offences punishable under Section 392 and 188 IPC. Convict Nabi Mohammad has been held guilty for offence punishable under Section 411 IPC.
Noor Mohammad, according to the court order, formed an unlawful assembly on the 24th of February 2020 between 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM near Chand Bagh pulia. The court specifically observed that the aim was to cause damage to people belonging to the Hindu community.
“The object whereof was to cause maximum damage to the property, vehicles and persons of the area, as well as to person belonging to Hindu community, commit criminal trespass, vandalism, theft, and arson in the shops, houses and properties of the other persons in the said area”, the court observed. The court also observed that Noor was a part of the assembly whose common objective was the use of violence.
The court detailed, “Noor Mohammad committed riot and also vandalized and set on fire Auto Mobile Shop of Dilip; robbed him and Shiv Kumar of their mobile phones, besides causing damage to the goods lying in the aforesaid shop; vandalized and set ablaze shop in the name of Ashok Foam and Furniture; set ablaze the motorcycles of Ramdutt Pandey, Manoj Negi, Sonu Sharma, Pappu and Ashok Kumar. This mob including convict Noora, had assembled in violation of prohibitory order passed by ld. DCP (N/E) under Section 144 Cr.P.C”.
As per the order, a mob of which Noor Mohammad was a part of, approached from Mustafabad and were equipped with iron rods, dandas etc. The rioters broke open the main gate of Giri Auto Mobiles. Around 40-50 rioters entered inside that property and they set two motorcycles on fire, which were standing outside the workshop. These rioters also broke open shutter of workshop and set ablaze 13 motorcycles as well as spare parts, which were lying inside the workshop. There was one more gate, which led to plot inside that property. Two victims/complainants had come to this plot. Two boys including Noora from those rioters also came inside that plot. They demanded mobile phone and money from both the complainants on the threats of setting them ablaze. They took away mobile phones from both the Hindu victims and gave five minutes to flee away. Both these complainants jumped over the adjacent plot and saved their life. Shiv Kumar Raghav had brought Rs.2.5 lac to his office in order to lend it to his friend for marriage of his daughter. He had kept that amount in a back side room in this plot, beneath a mattress, because of worsening condition. When the situation came under control, then both these complainants came back at about 8 PM to this property. They saw that the workshop was on the fire. The articles in the back side room were scattered here and there and amount of Rs.2.5 lacs was also missing. Accordingly, they had suffered loss of Rs.2.5 lacs and Rs.3.2 lacs respectively.
Interestingly, while handing down the 4-year conviction to Noora Mohammad, the court said that his background shows that he was prone to getting carried away in religious fervour. “The overall assessment of the given background of the convict Noora shows that he was prone to get carried away by a misconceived sense of religious cause”, the court said. Citing an observation from the case of Lokeman Shah v. State of W.B., (2001) 5 SCC 235, the court said that they found that Noora Mohammad fell in the same category. The portion of the judgment cited said that in a communal riot, those who take to the streets looking for prey don’t know the people – they are simply overtaken by religious frenzy. The people who do so are largely illiterate and get moved by the provocative speeches of the literate leaders.
Noora Mohammad was therefore imprisoned for 4 years of rigorous imprisonment by the court. While handing down this sentece, the court said, “Keeping in view the discussion held herein above, I find that though the crime committed in the case is not a lighter crime, but lack of education, influence of mob sentiments, unsettled life and given family background of convict Noora cannot be over looked”.
Nabi Mohammad was sentenced to the prison time already undergone by him. He was convicted for stealing. “As far as convict Nabi Mohammad is concerned, I find that facing trial in this case and spending time in Jail after conviction, would have given him sufficient lesson”, the court said.
Delhi anti-Hindu riots
On the 24th and 25th of February 2020, India’s national capital Delhi saw large-scale anti-Hindu riots which marked the culmination of the hostility, hatred, and anger spread by the anti-CAA protests by the Islamists in Shaheen Bagh and other areas. Shahdara, Maujpur, Bhajanpura, Brahmapuri, and other parts of northeast Delhi witnessed violence perpetrated by the Islamists. 53 people died in these riots while more than 200 people were left injured.
While many people wish to look at the Delhi Riots 2020 in isolation, the sequence of events starting right from the 1st of December 2019 proves otherwise. It proves that the violence was a concerted effort to push India toward anarchy. It proves that the Delhi Riots was no anti-Muslim pogrom, it was indeed, a well-oiled plan against Hindus.
OpIndia had extensively covered the anti-Hindu riots, which were falsely presented by the mainstream media as an anti-Muslim pogrom, and established facts documenting tragic cries of Hindus which would otherwise have gone unheard.
The damage to the property in these riots had been enormous. An Intelligence Bureau Constable was murdered in the riots along with a Head Constable of the Delhi Police. Amidst all of this, one gun-wielding man was spotted brandishing his gun at the Police and firing shots. The rioter was identified as Shahrukh. A Hindu man Dilbar Negi was burnt to death after his hands and legs were chopped off by Jihadis. Delhi was in the grip of communal violence ever since the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act. What Delhi saw in these anti-Hindu riots was only the crescendo of a fire that was lit by radicals months ago.
