A Year After Faizan’s Death, Police Still Trying To Find Identity Of Cops Who Forced Him To Sing National Anthem

A video clip went viral on social media showing five men lying injured on a street and other men in police uniform telling them to sing the national anthem and Vande Mataram.

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 2 February 2021 10:13 am

Nearly a year after the death of 23-year-old Faizan who lost his life during the violence that engulfed Northeast Delhi for three days on February 24, 2020, Delhi Police Monday told the High Court that they are still trying to ascertain the identity of personnel seen in the video and only one policeman has been “pinpointed on the probable basis,” The Indian Express reported.

In the video that emerged on social media, five men were lying on the floor while cops can be seen forcing Faizan to sing the national anthem and Vande Mataram.

According to the police, Faizan and others were kept at Jyoti Nagar police station as per their own wish. The High Court also asked the police to state on record if CCTV cameras of Jyoti Nagar police station were functioning or not at the time. However, Faizan’s family told that he was illegally detained and later died at a hospital within hours of his release from the police station on February 26.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Faizan’s mother Kismatun (61) for a court-monitored SIT probe into his death. Advocates Vrinda Grover and Soutik Banerjee presented her case before the court of Justice Yogesh Khanna.

In the petition, it has been alleged that Faizan was “targeted, brutally assaulted” and “injured by the policemen” at Kardampuri and then subsequently “illegally detained” in an injured condition at Jyoti Nagar police station, where he was denied timely critical medical care resulting in his death later at a hospital.

Grover had earlier argued before the court that the police “conveniently” have been claiming that CCTV cameras were not working at the police station.

The video clips have been sent to the FSL to enhance their quality. Police also said that neither the source mobile from which the videos were recorded could be traced nor the individual who recorded the videos. No eyewitness has come forward to corroborate the incident, they claimed.

Police said around 170 policemen were on duty at the place of incident, and they have been examined and their mobile phones checked.