New Delhi: Delhi Police on Tuesday said the trials in nine of the 53 murder cases registered in connection with the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots have reached their final stages, indicating that several serious prosecutions arising out of the violence are approaching judicial closure. Apart from the 53 murder cases, the crime branch is investigating 12 cases considered to be sensitive. Of the nine murder cases that are in their concluding phase before courts, four are at the stage of recording the statements of the accused, a critical step in the trial process, while the remaining have progressed to the stage of final arguments, where the prosecution and defence present their concluding submissions in court. In addition, 11 cases being probed by the Northeast district police have also entered the final stages of trial. Among these, two cases are on the verge of judgment and are expected to see verdicts soon. Seven of the cases are at the stage when statements of the accused are being recorded, while two have advanced to the phase of final arguments. In the communal clashes in northeast Delhi in Feb 2020 at least 53 people were killed and 581 were injured. Among them were 108 police personnel deployed to control the situation and restore order. Police data shows that 242 cases related to the riots are under trial in various courts. Of these, 212 cases are under Northeast district police, while 29 are being handled by the crime branch. One case remains under investigation by the special cell. Official figures also show that 16 riot-related cases have resulted in discharge orders from the courts. Proceedings in two cases have abated following the death of the accused, while one case has been quashed. Overall, 758 cases were registered in connection with the riots, of which 692 were investigated by police. Investigating agencies filed 416 chargesheets. Of these, 46 were filed by the crime branch and 369 by the local police, while one pertains to the special cell. In total, 2,639 people were arrested in connection with the riots. Of them, 2,189 were arrested by the local police, 429 by the crime branch, and 21 by the special cell.
