Delhi riots death toll reaches 38, AAP suspends murder-accused Tahir Hussain, CBSE postpones exams in North East area

The clashes between pro and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters have claimed the lives of at least 38 people and left hundreds of others injured in North East Delhi in the few days. The violence in Delhi's worst riots in more than three decades ebbed but did not subside completely and the situation continued to remain tense on Thursday. 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also suspended murder-accused Tahir Hussain from the primary membership of party till completion of the probe. An FIR has been registered against Hussain for allegedly murdering Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma. The FIR was registered at Dayalpur Police Station based on the complaint of Sharma`s father Ravinder Kumar. Along with Section 302 (punishment for murder), the FIR also mentions Section 201 (disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

Delhi Police have also sealed a factory belonging to Hussain in the Khajoori Khaas area. Earlier, family members of Sharma had alleged that a few people who were pelting stones from the building belonging to Hussain in Chand Bagh, had killed Sharma. His body was recovered from North-East Delhi`s Chand Bagh area. Ankit`s father Ravinder Kumar has stated that his son was attacked while he was returning from duty.

The police have formed two Special Investigation Teams (SITs) of the crime branch to investigate the riots. The SITs will be headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Joy Tirkey and DCP Rajesh Deo respectively. Each team will have four Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), 12 inspectors, 16 sub-inspectors and 12 Head Constable/Constable. 

Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime, BK Singh has been given the responsibility to oversee the work of the two SITs. The Delhi Police also announced that all the FIRs filed in connection with the three-day-long rioting in Delhi were being transferred to the two SITs. According to Delhi Police, 48 FIRs have been registered in the riot cases so far. The decision to constitute SITs to probe riot-related cases follows widespread allegations that Delhi Police failed to respond to the situation properly.

Several incriminating materials were also found from his home by Zee News including petrol bombs, stones, and acid chemicals. At least 100 rioters were also present on the roof of the house of Hussain. Bags of stones were found on first, and second floors of the house. The fourth floor of the house had poly bags filled with acid chemicals. The roof was also full of stones, catapult, and crates of bottles filled with petrol bombs.

In the backdrop of the violence, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) postponed the exams of classes 10 and 12 scheduled on February 28 and February 29 in violence-hit North East Delhi.

The clashes between pro and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters erupted in Delhi on Sunday (February 23) and continued unabated till Tuesday (February 25), claiming the lives of at least 34 people and leaving over 200 injured. The situation is still tense in several parts of North East Delhi and the security forces are on the streets to monitor the situation.