2020 Delhi Pogrom: Six Years After Delhi Police Publicly Beat a Group of Muslim Men, Two Officers Summoned for Custodial Death of 23-Year-Old Faizan

Key Points

A Delhi court has issued summons to two Delhi Police personnel in connection with the death of Faizan, a 23-year-old man who was assaulted by police and later died during the 2020 Northeast Delhi pogrom. The order marks a significant step in a case that has remained under scrutiny for six years.

On 4 February 2026, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mayank Goel took cognisance of a chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Head Constable Ravinder Kumar and Constable Pawan Yadav. The court said there was sufficient material on record to proceed against the accused under Sections 323, 325 and 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), read with Section 34.

Section 323 relates to voluntarily causing hurt, Section 325 to voluntarily causing grievous hurt, and Section 304 Part II applies where there is knowledge that an act is likely to cause death but without intent to kill. Section 34 concerns acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention. The court directed both officers to appear on the next date of hearing, 24 February 2026.

The case gained national attention after a video clip circulated widely on social media during the 2020 violence. The footage showed a group of injured Muslim men lying on the ground while five police personnel in riot gear stood around them, beating them with sticks and forcing them to chant the national anthem and Vande Mataram. Faizan was among the men seen in the video.

According to his mother, Kismatun, Faizan was assaulted at Kardampuri during protests linked to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). She alleged that he was then taken into illegal custody at Jyoti Nagar police station, where he was denied proper medical treatment. She has maintained that he was released in an injured condition and later died in hospital.

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Faizan’s mother approached the Delhi High Court, seeking a fair investigation. On 23 July 2024, the High Court transferred the probe from Delhi Police to the CBI. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani had strongly criticised the police investigation, describing it as “tardy” and “sketchy” and observing that the case appeared to fall within the category of a hate crime.

The High Court noted that the suspects were themselves police personnel, raising concerns about the fairness of an investigation conducted by the same force. It remarked that when “custodians of the law are themselves accused of having committed its breach,” and are also part of the investigating agency, the situation does not inspire confidence. The court said transferring the investigation was necessary to preserve credibility and ensure fairness to the victim’s family.

Following the transfer, the CBI registered an FIR in August 2024 and conducted its investigation. After collecting evidence, the agency filed a chargesheet against the two officers. Although the original FIR included the offence of murder, the chargesheet proceeded under culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other sections relating to hurt.

In taking cognisance, the Delhi court observed that the investigating officer had collected evidence during the probe and, on that basis, filed the chargesheet. The court also directed that copies of the chargesheet and accompanying documents be supplied in compliance with procedural requirements.

An excerpt from Faizan’s alleged dying declaration, placed before the High Court earlier, stated that police had beaten and humiliated him because he was Muslim. It said he was taken to GTB Hospital in a police vehicle, where treatment was carried out under police instructions, and that he was later taken to Jyoti Nagar police station.

Vrinda Grover, who represented Faizan’s mother in the Delhi High Court, issued a statement on the recent court order.

“It is telling that 5 years and 10 months later, a chargesheet has been filed in the case of a hate crime,” she said. “The video explicitly shows more than two policemen involved in the targeted assault. It is surprising that the CBI investigation could not uncover the names of the other policemen who formed the criminal gang and unlawful assembly.”

[DS]

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