Appoint senior officer to monitor probe into Kanjhawala murder: Delhi HC

While police has said the murder occurred during a quarrel connected to a ‘love triangle’ case, a petition before the court stated that a number of communal incidents had preceded the murder and the “mob lynching” of the victim, Shaukat, took place during one such incident. The plea alleged that police are deliberately misdirecting the investigation to shield the culprits and communal forces behind the incident.

Justice Yogesh Khanna in an order asked the state to file a status report within four weeks and listed the matter for hearing on November 25.

Advocate Mehmood Pracha, who represented the victim’s father Mohd Hasrat and another resident Rehan, had earlier submitted that certain persons were trying to disturb peace and communal harmony in the area for many months.

It was also submitted that the police have failed to explain why Shaukat, who was present at a distance from the spot, was beaten up. Shaukat was lynched in the area but no action has been taken, it was submitted. When the attacks took place in the area, the calls made to PCR for help were also not responded to for one and a half hours, as per the petition.

However, police said the FIR was registered on the complaint of Rehan, who is “now changing his version”, and the incident is related to a ‘love triangle’, as an outcome of which Rehan was beaten up because he is the friend of a person named Saider. Police said Saider and Ankit, one of the accused, are suspected to have been in a relationship with the same girl.

However, Pracha submitted before court that police had recorded a false statement of Rehan and attributed it to him in the FIR. Ankit was not even present at the spot, the court was told.

The police also told the court that the investigation is still on.