The Delhi High Court has granted bail to two accused in the 2020 murder of Head Constable Ratan Lal during the North-East Delhi riots. Justice Chandra Dhari Singh allowed bail to Mohd. Jalaluddin and Mohd. Wasim in relation to FIR 60/2020, registered at Dayalpur Police Station.
While granting bail to Jalaluddin, Delhi High Court observed that the case has been awaiting charges since October 2020, leaving him in pre-trial custody for over three years. The court emphasized that his continued detention without a completed trial infringed upon his fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
The court further noted that disposing of a case with over 270 witnesses and spanning nine chargesheets would take significant time.
For Wasim, Justice Singh acknowledged that the chargesheet was already filed, and material evidence, including CCTV footage, had been gathered. Highlighting that Wasim, a 35-year-old and sole earner for his family, has no prior criminal record, the court noted the severe impact of his detention. During his incarceration since September 28, 2020, his family faced hardships, including the tragic death of his nine-month-old daughter due to lack of medical care.
The FIR registered at Dayalpur Police Station includes numerous charges under the IPC, such as Sections 186, 353, 332, and 302, along with sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Arms Act. According to the police, around 1 PM on the day of the riots, protesters equipped with sticks, bats, iron rods, and stones gathered on Wazirabad Road. They ignored warnings from senior officers and escalated the situation into violence.
The situation became critical, with police forced to use mild force and tear gas to disperse the crowd. A constable reported that the protesters attacked police officers, including DCP Shahdara, ACP Gokulpuri, and Head Constable Ratan Lal. The injured officers were taken to the hospital, where Ratan Lal was declared dead due to severe injuries, and DCP Shahdara was found unconscious with head trauma.
Advocates Kartik Venu, R Jude Rohit, and Kratika Singhal represented Mohd. Jalaluddin, while Advocates Deepak Kohli, Mohd. Shariq, Mohd Anas, and Amit Kharbanda appeared for Mohd. Wasim. SPP Ashish Dutta, along with Advocate Mayank, represented the Delhi Police in the case.
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