In a significant legal development, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the investigation into the death of Faizan, a 23-year-old man who died following an assault during the 2020 communal riots in Delhi, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The incident, caught in a viral video, showed Faizan and four other Muslim men being brutally beaten by police officers while being coerced to sing the national anthem and “Vande Mataram.”
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani, presiding over the case, responded to a petition filed by Faizan’s mother, Kismatun, advocating for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take over the inquiry. “I am allowing the petition. I am transferring the case to CBI,” Justice Bhambhani announced, marking a pivotal turn in the quest for justice for the victim’s family.
Kismatun’s plea, lodged in 2020, accused the police of assaulting her son, unlawfully detaining him, and neglecting his critical medical needs. These alleged actions contributed to his subsequent death on February 26, 2020, shortly after his release from custody.
The communal clashes that claimed Faizan’s life erupted in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, following escalating tensions between supporters and opponents of the new citizenship law. The violence resulted in at least 53 deaths and approximately 700 injuries, spotlighting severe communal and law enforcement challenges in the region.
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Despite ongoing investigations, police had reported in 2022 that the identification of the officers involved was still underway. They informed the court in March that they were awaiting forensic analysis of the video evidence from the National Forensic Sciences University in Gujarat.
