On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court is set to pronounce its verdict concerning a plea for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the death of Faizan, a 23-year-old man allegedly forced to sing the national anthem during the 2020 Delhi riots. The petition, spearheaded by Faizan’s mother, Kismatun, has called for a thorough examination of the circumstances leading to her son’s death.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani will deliver the judgment, which centers on events captured in a widely circulated video. The footage showed Faizan and four other Muslim men purportedly being beaten by police officers as they were coerced into singing the national anthem and “Vande Mataram.”
The violent incidents occurred during communal clashes that erupted in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020. The confrontations began as disagreements between supporters and opponents of the citizenship law escalated dramatically. The resulting violence claimed the lives of at least 53 individuals and left around 700 injured.
Kismatun’s plea alleges that the police not only assaulted her son but also illegally detained him and denied him essential healthcare, ultimately leading to his demise on February 26, shortly after his release.
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In response, the police have submitted a status report to the court in a sealed cover in 2022, indicating ongoing efforts to identify the officers involved. Furthermore, in March, the police reported that they were awaiting forensic analysis of the video footage by the National Forensic Sciences University in Gujarat.
