On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court directed the CBI to investigate the death of 23-year-old Faizan, who police allegedly forced to sing the national anthem during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani granted the plea filed by Faizan’s mother, Kismatun, who had sought a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into her son’s death since 2020. “I am allowing the petition. I have transferred the investigation to the CBI,” stated the court.
A widely circulated video shows police allegedly beating Faizan and four other men and forcing them to sing the national anthem. Faizan’s mother accused the Delhi Police of illegally detaining her son and denying him critical healthcare, leading to his death on February 26, 2020, at GTB Hospital, just 24 hours after his release from Jyoti Nagar police station.
Representing the mother, Advocates Vrinda Grover, Soutik Banerjee, and Devika Tulsiani argued the need for a thorough investigation. SPP Amit Prasad represented the Delhi Police. Grover referenced a Supreme Court ruling in Awungshi Chirmayo and Anr. v. Government of NCT of Delhi and Ors. Thus, emphasizing that even a seemingly fair probe might be deemed ineffective, justifying the transfer to the CBI.
Kismatun described her son’s death as a “hate crime and custodial murder,”. Thus, asserting that Faizan was targeted due to his religion. In 2022, a coordinate bench questioned the Delhi Police’s delay in the investigation. They demanded a detailed status report from the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police.
This decision marks a significant step towards a deeper investigation into the circumstances surrounding Faizan’s death.
