Northeast Delhi Violence: Prosecution evidence against Shahrukh Pathan deferred

A Delhi Court on Friday deferred the proceeding of prosecution evidence against Shahrukh Pathan in a case related to northeast Delhi violence.

The Court had last month directed the commencement of trial in the matter.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat deferred the proceedings against Shahrukh Pathan and listed the matter for February 21, 2022. The case was being heard through video conferencing (VC) and no witness was summoned. Witnesses are not examined when the hearing takes place through VC.

Defense counsel said that none of the witnesses was summoned. The Court has adjourned the proceedings for February 21. He told the witness will be summoned only if the physical hearing starts by the next date of hearing.

The Court had on December 23, 2021 framed charges against Shahrukh Pathan under various offences dealing with rioting, unlawful assembly and an attempt to murder in an FIR 49/2020 registered at Jafrabad Police Station.

The Court had also framed charges against the other four accused, Salman, Gulfam, Aatir and Osama.

As the accused had pleaded not guilty and claimed trial, the Court listed the matter for prosecution evidence. The case pertains to unlawful assembly within the jurisdiction of Police Station Jafrabad, and accused being a member of unlawful assembly along with four other associates armed with bottles, stones and pistols obstructed police officials or public servants, who were posted there to maintain law and order, in the discharge of their public functions.

The police have alleged that they have caused injuries to police personnel and gunshot injury sustained to one Rohit Shukla.

Earlier, in a separate case, the Court had framed charges against Shahrukh Pathan, who had allegedly opened fire at police personnel in February 2020 during the protest and violence against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Pathan is also named as an accused in a separate case related to pointing a gun at head constable Deepak Dahiya. He was arrested on March 3, 2020, and is currently lodged in the Tihar Jail.

According to police, Pathan after the incident in February initially kept roaming in the national capital before slipping away to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh's Shamli, from where he was arrested by the Crime Branch later. In February, clashes broke out in the northeast area of Delhi between the groups regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act, which led to the deaths of at least 53 people.

( With inputs from ANI )