LIVE! Kejriwal holds meeting to review relief ops

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Sat, 29 February 2020

Kejriwal holds meeting to review relief ops

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21:03 Kejriwal holds meeting to review relief ops

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a review meeting with sub-divisional magistrates on Saturday to take stock of relief operations in riot-affected areas of northeast Delhi.

Flanked by his deputy Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal told reporters that the Delhi government wants to ensure that normalcy returns in people's lives, for which several steps are being taken by the authorities.

The meeting was attended by around 18 sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) who have been deployed in violence-affected areas. Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam was also present at the meeting.

The chief minister said the government has so far received 67 compensation forms from people, adding the SDMs have launched an exercise to access the damage caused by violence.

"The SDMs will ensure that compensation forms are provided to victim's households so that they can fill it up. We have also been distributing food among riot-affected people.

"There is no shortage of food," he said, adding the government wants to ensure that normalcy returns to people's lives.

Most of the street lights which were damaged during violence have been made functional and the rest will soon be made functional, Kejriwal said.

He later tweeted, 'Reviewed relief ops at the North East DC Office with all departments. Delhi govt is doing all it can to restore normalcy to people's lives. We have to once again create an environment of peace and harmony for all people in Delhi (sic).'

The communal violence in northeast Delhi sparked by protests over the amended citizenship law has claimed at least 42 lives and left over 200 people injured.

But the number of people who are stilling missing is unclear. -- PTI

The National Human Rights Commission has deputed a fact-finding team to investigate the cases of communal violence in northeast Delhi, an official said on Saturday.

At least 42 people were killed and over 200 injured as frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump, and pelted stones at locals and police personnel earlier this week, the worst riots in Delhi in over three decades.

"The NHRC has deputed a fact-finding team to investigate the recent cases of violence northeast Delhi," according to an official. -- PTI

19:55 US to withdraw all troops in 14 months

The United States will calibrate the pace of its withdrawal from Afghanistan with the actions of the Taliban, United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Saturday as Washington signed the peace deal with the group.

"Effort only became real when the Taliban showed interest in pursuing real peace and ending their relationship with Al Qaeda and other foreign terrorist groups. The agreement that we will sign today is the true test of this effort," Pompeo said.

"We will closely watch the Taliban for their compliance with their commitments and calibrate the pace of our withdrawal with their actions. This is how we will ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a base for international terrorists," he added.

As per a joint declaration between Washington and the Afghan government, the US will withdraw all its forces from Afghanistan within 14 months.

The plan is 'subject to the Taliban's fulfillment of its commitments under the US-Taliban agreement'.

'The United States reaffirms its commitments regarding support for the Afghan security forces and other government institutions, including through ongoing efforts to enhance the ability of Afghan security forces to deter and respond to internal and external threats, consistent with its commitments under existing security agreements between the two governments,' the joint declaration read, as reported by Tolo News.

As per the declaration, the US will reduce the number of US military forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 and implement other commitments in the US-Taliban agreement within 135 days of the announcement of this joint declaration and the US-Taliban agreement. -- ANI

The Delhi government is considering to issue a WhatsApp number on which people can complain about hate messages being circulated on the messaging application in wake of the communal violence that claimed 42 lives in northeast Delhi, sources said on Saturday.

Authorities will invoke provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act to take strict action against those who is found circulating hate messages on WhatsApp.

Sources said the government would also make an appeal to people to not forward any such message because forwarding any material that causes enmity among communities is a crime.

The move is aimed at dealing with rumours on social media.

"If anyone receives any such material, he can immediately make a complaint to Delhi government stating the name and number of the person who forwarded that message," a source told PTI.

The government is considering to issue a WhatsApp number on which such complaints could be made.

An official will screen all the complaints made and genuine ones will then be forwarded to the police for necessary action, according to the sources.

Whoever is found circulating hate messages on the instant messaging application will face action under sections 153A and 505C of the Indian Penal Code under which there is provision of punishment of up to three years, fine or both, an official said.

Authorities will also invoke provisions of the IT Act against such offenders.

Action is taken under Section 153A for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth and Section 505C for making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community.

The violence in Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Chand Bagh, Shiv Vihar, Bhajanpura, Yamuna Vihar areas of northeast Delhi has claimed at least 42 lives and left over 200 injured.

A large number of properties have been damaged. Frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at locals and police personnel. -- PTI

19:02 US, Taliban sign peace deal in Doha

JUST IN: The United States and Taliban sign 'agreement for bringing peace to Afghanistan' in Doha, Qatar.

Prior to signing of the agreement, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "We will closely watch Taliban for their compliance with their commitments and calibrate the pace of our withdrawal with their actions.

"This is how we will ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a base for international terrorists."

"Effort only became real when the Taliban showed interest in pursuing real peace and ending their relationship with Al Qaeda and other foreign terrorist groups.

"Agreement that we will sign today is the true test of this effort.," he said. -- ANI

17:47 Nirbhaya convict files new mercy plea for prez

Akshay Thakur, one of the death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, on Saturday moved a "complete" mercy petition, claiming that the petition filed by him earlier, and which was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind, was "incomplete".

Advocate AP Singh, the convicts' lawyer, today informed a Delhi court that the petition moved earlier did not have "complete facts". He said that the mercy petition has reached the President's Secretariat today.

Singh had earlier this month said that the President of India had carried out a "complete miscarriage of justice" by rejecting the "incomplete mercy petition" of convict Akshay Thakur.

"Today, through media reports, I heard that the mercy petition on behalf of Akshay Thakur was rejected by President of India. In this regard, I want to clarify that on January 31, 2020, an incomplete mercy petition was filed before the President by the family of Akshay," Singh told reporters.

President Ram Nath Kovind had, on February 5, rejected the mercy petition of convict Akshay Thakur. So far, the mercy petitions of Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh have also been rejected.

Meanwhile, another convict in the matter, Pawan Gupta, has filed a curative petition before the Supreme Court seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment.

This comes as a fresh death warrant has been issued for the convicts -- Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh -- for their hanging at 6 am on March 3.

-- ANI

A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court is likely to hear on Monday the curative petition filed by Pawan Gupta, one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

The five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice NV Ramana will also consist of Justice Arun Mishra, Justice RF Nariman, Justice R Banumathi and Justice Ashok Bhushan.

Gupta had on Friday filed a curative petition before the apex court seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment. He is the fourth convict in the case to file a curative petition. The Supreme Court has already rejected the curative petitions of the rest three.

This comes as a fresh death warrant has been issued for the four convicts -- Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh, which orders their hanging at 6 am on March 3 at Delhi's Tihar Jail.

Meanwhile, the apex court has also slated for March 5 hearing on a petition filed by Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), seeking directions to separately execute the convicts.

The case pertains to the brutal gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.

-- ANI

Schools in the northeast Delhi area will remain closed till March 7 in view of violence over the amended citizenship law, Directorate of Education Examination cell announced on Saturday.

Officials said that the situation is not conducive for conducting examinations in violence-affected areas.

A Delhi court on Saturday deferred for March 4 the judgement in the death of the father of the woman who was raped by expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao in 2017.

District Judge Dharmesh Sharma said that the judgment will be pronounced on March 4. The rape survivor's father died on April 9, 2018 in police custody.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had on July 13, 2018, filed a chargesheet in the matter, in which it named Sengar and others.

According to the probe agency, an altercation took place between the rape survivor's father and one Shashi Pratap Singh on April 3, 2018, after which the latter called his associates and attacked the woman's father.

Kuldeep Singh Sengar's brother Atul Singh was also part of the group that attacked the survivor's father and his co-worker, said CBI.

Later, survivor's father was taken to the police station, where he was arrested after an FIR was lodged against him.

CBI, in its chargesheet, said that Sengar was in touch with the district police superintendent and police station's in-charge.

Thereafter, the charges were framed against Sengar, his brother Atul, Makhi police station in-charge Ashok Singh Bhadauria, Sub Inspector Kamta Prasad, Constable Amir Khan and six others in the case.

On August 1 last year, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh.

In December 2019, Sengar was convicted and jailed for life by a Delhi court for raping the girl, who was a minor at the time of incident, at his residence in Unnao in June 2017, where she had gone seeking a job.

-- ANI

The Assam Police has arrested a guest lecturer at a college in Silchar for allegedly writing a "derogatory" post against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Delhi riots in a Facebook post.

The guest lecturer, Sourdeep Sengupta, was employed at the Gurcharan College in Silchar, Assam.

In a recent Facebook post, Sengupta had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "mass murderer".

Besides this, he had also claimed that slogans fanning religious tensions were raised during the communal riots that broke out in northeast Delhi on Monday.

In his Facebook post, Sourdeep Sengupta accused the BJP and the RSS of "trying to recreate Godhra in Delhi". Sengupta also alleged that people in Delhi are being "beaten up mercilessly" on account of their religion, besides making other claims.

Following his Facebook post, some students at Gurcharan College filed an FIR against Sengupta.

On Friday, Sourdeep Snegupta wrote another Facebbok post and apologised for this previous post.

"I apologise for any religious sentiments I may have hurt by my posts. I made some irresponsible comments about a communally sensitive issue. It was a lapse of judgment. My intention was not to insult any religion at large," he wrote.

In their complaint the students said, "Sourdeep Sengupta, who is a guest lecturer in physics department of Gurucharan College, has made a derogatory remarks and abused the Sanatan Dharma. He has also alleged that the Prime Minister of the nation is a mass murderer and tried to incite communal violence."

The district police acted on the FIR and arrested Sengupta on Friday night from his house in Itakhola area of Silchar.

He has been booked under sections 295(A), 153(A), 507 of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 of the IT Act.

The situation is far from normal and an environment of fear is still prevailing in Delhi, the Congress party said on Saturday, after 42 people people died in the worst communal riots in the city in over three decades.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma also claimed that a "one-sided" investigation is taking place into the riots. "We have no expectations from Centre or Delhi CM but we have hopes from the courts," he told reporters.

-- PTI

Singer and music director Vishal Dadlani on Saturday hit out at the Aam Admi Party for sanctioning the prosecution of former JNUSU president and now CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar and nine others in a sedition case.

AAP started out as people criticising a government that was wrong. Most AAP supporters are still those people and still do exactly the same. Some of us, at great risk, he tweeted.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi on Friday gave its nod to prosecute Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and other former JNU students Mujeeb Gattoo, Khalid Bhat, former Jamia Milia Islamia students Umair Gul, scholar Basharat Ali among others on charges of sedition.

The accused allegedly led a procession and had supported the seditious slogans allegedly raised on the JNU campus during an event on February 9, 2016.

Expressing his discontent, Dadlani, who has publically supported the AAP and its principles, termed the move as plain wrong. He said the partys supporters despise the political tradition of trading right and wrong for votes/image/gain.

That the singer, music director is miffed with the party that he campaigned for in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly elections is clearly evident as earlier in 2016, he had tweeted in support of Kanhaiyas speech just like party leader Arvind Kejriwal had.

What was Kanhaiya Kumar saying before he got arrested? See for yourself. Tell me if you hear anything anti-national, Dadlani had said. Kejriwal echoed a similar sentiment when he termed Kanhaiyas speech as brilliant.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the 296-km-long Bundelkhand Expressway in Chitrakoot by pressing a button.

To be built at a cost of Rs 14,849 crore, the expressway will pass through Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur and Jalaun districts.

The expressway will be supplementing the nodes of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor announced by the Central government in February 2018.

This expressway will link Bundelkhand to the national capital Delhi through Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Yamuna Expressway as well as play a vital role in the development of the region.

-- PTI

14:21 Restrictions relaxed for 4 hrs in Delhi today

The prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC in the violence-hit north-east Delhi were relaxed for four hours on Saturday in view of the improvement in the situation, Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern Range) Alok Kumar said.

Kumar said that the restrictions were relaxed from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday. "Incidents of violence have not been reported since the evening of February 25. We have given relaxation in Section 144 from 10 am to 2 pm today in a majority of violence-hit areas, as the situation is under control. We are monitoring the situation," Kumar said.

Authorities often use power conferred under Section 144 of CrPC to prohibit assembly of four or more persons at public places when such an assembly may cause trouble or public nuisance.

The restrictions were imposed in the north-east Delhi in the aftermath of violence.

Kumar further informed that a total of 100 First Information Reports have been registered and 25 people have been arrested as part of the investigation conducted by the Delhi police on the incidents of violence.

"The perpetrators are being identified based on the available evidence. More people will be arrested in connection with the incidents," Kumar said.

At least 42 people have died while around 200 people sustained serious injuries in the violence that rocked north-east Delhi for four days.

-- ANI

-- PTI

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Anuj Kumar, who got injured in recent clashes in northeast Delhi's Gokulpuri, said that the police force was heavily outnumbered as the place turned into a battlefield with frenzied mobs torching houses, shops, vehicles and hurling stones.

The ACP, who was discharged from the hospital two days ago, said, "We were instructed that the road linking Signature Bridge with the border of Ghaziabad should not remain blocked. But slowly and steadily the crowd started getting bigger and included both men and women. They were around 20,000- 25,000, while we were only 200. I don't know whether they had planned to block the road as they did previously."

"We spoke to them peacefully and asked them to remain confined to the service road instead of the main road. Till then rumours had started spreading that some women and children had lost their lives in a police shootout. There was construction underway near the bridge, so stones and bricks were lying there. The protestors started pelting stones suddenly and we were injured, including the DCP who was bleeding severely," he added.

The clashes took place at the same time when US President Donald Trump was on a two-day maiden visit to India.

The ACP further stated that the police had fired teargas shells to disperse the crowd but the effort was futile as the distance between the protestors and the security was large.

"We were standing on two opposite ends of the road. We didn't want to open fire as many women took part in the protest. But we were heavily outnumbered," Kumar said.

"My aim then was to first rescue the DCP because he was bleeding heavily. But we also didn't want to hurt any protester," he stressed.

-- ANI

12:57 Cong hits out at BJP over 'raj dharma' comment

The Congress on Saturday hit out at the BJP and the central government after Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the principal Opposition party to not preach "raj dharma" to the government.

Slamming Prasad's remarks, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Kapil Sibal said that Opposition cannot preach "raj dharma" to the Centre's BJP government as "listening, learning, and obeying such duties" is not in BJP's disposition.

Responding to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's remarks that Congress could not preach raj dharma to the government, Sibal on Saturday said: "How can we, Mr Minister? When you did not listen to Vajpayee ji in Gujarat, why would you listen to us! Listening, learning and obeying Rajdharma not one of your government's strong points."

Sibal was alluding to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's famous remarks wherein he reminded the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to follow "raj dharma" during 2002 anti-Muslim riots in the state.

'Raj dharma' refers to the duty of a ruler to establish justice among his subjects and not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, caste, creed, laguage on or any other basis.

The remarks have come as parts of north-east Delhi have been hit by violence since Sunday. At least 42 people, including a police head constable, have died while around 200 people have been injured in the violence.

Congress leaders Subhash Chopra and Sushmita Dev too questioned the government over its inaction to secure the citizens.

"What has the government been doing since day one? Initially, the death toll was six and now it has risen to 42. We had a meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner and others. They assured us that action would be taken. We need action against those who incited violence through inflammatory speeches," Chopra noted.

Former Lok Sabha MP Sushmita Dev said that the BJP is a "failed government".

"They (BJP government) have not been able to secure their citizens. Amid his failures, the only solution Ravi Shankar Prasad has is to blame the Opposition. It is not only absurd but a blatant lie. And I think lies are the basic dharma of the BJP and the country knows that," she added.

-- ANI

12:31 Mumbai gets new police commissioner

JUST IN: Parambir Singh is new Mumbai Police Commissioner. The 1988-batch IPS officer to take charge of the police force soon.

12:27 'Some parties rubbing salt in victims' wounds'

Taking a swipe at the Opposition, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday said some political parties and "professional provokers" were rubbing salt into the wounds of those affected by the communal riots, but harmony will prevail.

Provokers and perpetrators will be in prison and peace and harmony will prevail, the senior BJP leader said, adding that this should be "our commitment and the confidence".

Instead of healing the wounds of the victims of the violence, some political parties and "professional provokers" are rubbing salt into their wounds, Naqvi told reporters.

The "secular ride" on the unfortunate communal riots should be stopped, Naqvi said.

"It is our collective responsibility to ensure the victims get justice and perpetrators are punished heavily and peace and harmony is restored," the minister said.

The death toll in Delhi's communal violence rose to 42 on Friday as the situation showed some signs of returning to normalcy and clouds of smoke cleared to reveal the extent of the damage from the worst riots in the city in over three decades.

"When we heard reports of violence and anarchy, at the same time we have witnessed several examples of harmony and brotherhood. This is the strength of 'unity in diversity' of my India," Naqvi said.

He said the unity and harmony is the soul of a secular and democratic India.

"We should not allow the soul and strength of India to weaken under any circumstances," he said.

Any kind of violence not only inflicts injuries to a human but also the entire humanity and it also hurts the soul of India, he said.

"It is the national duty of all of us to ensure that the fabric of harmony and unity doesn't get weaken under any circumstances," Naqvi said.

-- PTI

11:53 Priority is to maintain peace in Delhi: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that political discussions involving Union Home Minister's resignation can take place later while stressing that the need of the hour is to maintain peace in Delhi.

"Right now, the problem should be solved, political discussions can take place later," Banerjee told the reporters on Opposition's demand of Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation in the wake of violence in northeast Delhi.

Expressing concern over the Delhi violence, the Mamata Banerjee said, "What happened in Delhi is very upsetting. It should not have happened. Police personnel and an IB officer lost their lives along with several people. The victims' families should be given help and peace should return."

11:35 PM Modi in Prayagraj

Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributes assistive aids&devices to senior citizens & the differently-abled, at a distribution camp in Prayagraj.

11:27 Situation peaceful in riot-hit northeast Delhi

The situation in northeast Delhi was peaceful Saturday morning with residents gradually coming to terms with the damage in communal riots in the area earlier this week.

Security personnel have been conducting flag marches and holding regular consultations with locals to assuage their fears. They are also urging residents to not pay attention to rumours on social media and report them to the police.

Sources, meanwhile, said the Delhi government is considering to issue a WhatsApp number on which people can complain about hate messages being circulated on the instant messaging app.

They said the government will make an appeal to people to not forward any such message because forwarding any material which causes enmity amongst communities is a crime.

The move is aimed at dealing with rumours on social media.

Relatives of riot victims continued to wait outside the mortuary at GTB Hospital to receive bodies.

The violence in Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Chand Bagh, Shiv Vihar, Bhajan Pura, Yamuna Vihar areas of northeast Delhi has claimed at least 42 lives and left over 200 injured.

A large number of properties have been damaged. Frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at locals and police personnel.

-- PTI

10:55 Chidambaram criticises AAP on Kanhaiya case

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday hit out at the Delhi government for its sanction to prosecute former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and nine others in connection with a sedition case, saying the Kejriwal dispensation is "no less ill-informed than the Centre" in its understanding of the sedition law.

The Delhi government has given a go-ahead to the city police to prosecute former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and nine others in connection with a four-year-old sedition case, as the ruling AAP denied the persistent BJP charge of blocking the proceedings in the matter.

"Delhi Government is no less ill-informed than the central government in its understanding of sedition law," Chidambaram tweeted.

"I strongly disapprove of the sanction granted to prosecute Mr Kanhaiya Kumar and others for alleged offences under sections 124A and 120B of IPC," the former home minister said.

The sanction was granted by the Delhi government on February 20, he said.

The Delhi Police had last year filed the chargesheet at a city court against Kanhaiya Kumar and others, saying he was leading a procession and supported seditious slogans at an event in February 2016.

It also charged former JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya with allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the event to commemorate the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru.

The prosecution sanction was granted nearly a year after a city court asked the Aam Aadmi Party government to take a decision within a reasonable timeframe and noted that the delay was leading to violation of the due process of law.

-- PTI

The Delhi government is considering to issue a WhatsApp number on which people can complain about hate messages being circulated on the instant messaging app in wake of the riots that claimed 42 lives in northeast Delhi, sources said on Saturday.

They said the government will make an appeal to people to not forward any such message because forwarding any material which causes enmity amongst communities is a crime.

The move is aimed at dealing with rumours on social media.

"If anyone receives any such material, he can immediately make a complaint to Delhi government stating the name and number of the person who forwarded that message," a source said.

The government is considering to issue a WhatsApp number on which such complaints could be made.

An official will screen all the complaints made and genuine complaints would then be forwarded to police for necessary action, the sources said.

-- PTI

The government should have been a "little careful" while issuing the "midnight" order transferring Delhi High Court Judge S Muralidhar to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, former Chief Justice of India Justice K G Balakrishnan has said, amid a row over the timing of the transfer.

The transfer order was issued by the Union Law and Justice Ministry on February 26, the day a bench headed by Justice Muralidhar expressed "anguish" over Delhi Police's failure to register FIRs against alleged hate speeches by three BJP leaders. The government has said the transfer had nothing to do with any case as a recommendation to this effect was already made by the Supreme Court Collegium and the judge had also given his consent.

Justice Balakrishnan said it was a mere coincidence that the final transfer notification was issued on the day when he passed the order on the hate speeches because his shift to had been already contemplated by the Supreme Court collegium a week ago.

"I don't know on what date the transfer issue came up before the collegium," he added.

Justice Muralidhar's transfer has nothing to do with the observations he made while hearing the Delhi violence case, the former CJI said.

"When the situation in the country is so volatile and media and others are active the government should have been little careful while issuing such midnight transfer order as there are chances of people thinking otherwise. The people could interpret differently," Justice Balakrishnan said.

Justice Balakrishnan also said he did not think that Justice Muralidhar was asked to join on the next day itself in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

-- PTI

10:05 Delhi cops to make rioters pay for damages

Taking a leaf out of the playbook of Uttar Pradesh police, the Delhi Police has decided to recover the cost of damages to public and private property during the communal riots in north-east Delhi from the protesters themselves by imposing fines or attaching their properties, two Delhi Police officers familiar with development said on condition of anonymity.

A direction has already been issued in this regard to the Crime Branchs Special Investigation Teams and the local police to coordinate with civic authorities and Delhi government to assess the damage, one of the officers added.

The SITs have been tasked with identifying those who committed arson, looting, or otherwise damaged properties during the riots over four days and across almost all of north-east Delhi. It is suspected that several local criminals, including those with criminal records, took advantage of the situation in Jafrabad, Kardampuri, Karawal Nagar, Maujpur, Bhajanpura and other areas, and went on a rampage.

Delhi Police on Friday said they have identified at least 1,000 rioters and have so far detained or arrested at least 630.

It will take time to assess the actual damage but Delhi Police believe properties worth hundreds of crores have been destroyed between Sunday and Wednesday. Police said they have also sought the help of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation and power discom BSES to access the damage, to restore utilities, and also to clear the debris and piles of torched vehicles from the riot-hit area.

The UP administration, in December 2019, sent notices to at least 400 people identified as rioters to recover the damages to properties during anti-CAA protests in the state. It cited the Supreme Courts previous recommendations and a 2011 Allahabad high court order to justify the decision.

One person has been killed in clashes between KSU members and non-tribals during a meeting on CAA and inner line permit in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills after which mobile internet services have been suspended in six districts, officials said on Saturday.

The clashes between the Khasi Students Union members and non-tribals broke out during anti-CAA and pro-ILP meeting held in Ichamati area of the district on Friday, they said.

Mobile internet services have been suspended in six districts East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Khasi Hills an South West Khasi hills -- of the state from Friday night for 48-hours, officials said.

Curfew was imposed in Shillong and adjoining areas with effect from 10 pm of February 28 to 8 am of February 29, an official order said.

-- PTI

09:19 Why no FIR against BJP leaders, asks AAP

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh today asked the Delhi Police if the FIRs registered by them also included the names of those whose hate speeches incited the riots in the Capital. Attacking the police, Singh asked if the police was under pressure to not lodge an FIR against BJP leaders who fanned tensions.

BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma are in the dock for their provocative speeches that allegedly raised temperatures in Delhi.

On Delhi police's registration of 123 FIRs in connection with the riots, AAP leader Sanjay Singh hit out at the law enforcement agency asking them if the names of the BJP leaders who gave "provocative statements" have been incorporated in the complaint or not.

He says, "Are the names of those who set Delhi on fire by giving provocative statements in these FIRs? Will the media now ask that under whose pressure, no FIR has been filed against the BJP leaders who have given provocative statements?

08:57 Toll of coronavirus in China climbs to 2,835

Forty seven more people have died of the deadly coronavirus, rasing the death toll in the country to 2,835 while the number of confirmed cases climbed to 79,251, Chinese health officials said on Saturday.

China's National Health Commission in its daily report on Saturday said it received reports of 427 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection and 47 deaths on Friday.

Among the deaths reported, 45 were from the epicentre of the virus Hubei Province, one in Beijing and Henan respectively, it said.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland have reached 79,251 by the end of Friday, and 2,835 people have died of the disease, it said.

The virus, though slowing down its virulence, continued to affect more people as another 248 new suspected cases were reported taking the total to 1,418 people.

Also on Friday, 2,885 people were discharged from the hospitals after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 288 to 7,664, the NHC said.

A total of 39,002 people have been discharged from the hospitals after the recovery.

By the end of Friday, 94 confirmed cases, including two deaths, have been reported in Hong Kong, 10 confirmed cases in Macao and 34 in Taiwan, including one death.

Meanwhile, a senior World Health Organisation expert said in Geneva on Friday that it is unhelpful to declare a pandemic when people are still trying to contain COVID-19, although the WHO has raised the epidemic risk alert to the highest level.

The WHO revised on Friday the risk assessment of the COVID-19 from "high" to "very high" at global level, as an increasing number of cases in more countries were reported over the last few days.

"A Pandemic is a unique situation, in which all citizens on the planet will likely be exposed to a virus within a defined period of time," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme as saying.

However, in the case of COVID-19, it has been proved that the course of the epidemic can be significantly altered through containment measures and robust public health response, the expert noted.

-- PTI

US First Lady Melania Trump thanked President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the warm welcome accorded to her and US President Donald Trump during their first official visit to India.

"Thank you @narendramodi for welcoming me and @POTUS to your beautiful country. We were delighted to receive such a warm welcome from you and the people of India!," tweeted Melania.

"Thank you President @Rashtrapatibhvn and First Lady Savita Kovind for the warm welcome to the Presidential Palace. It was a beautiful day celebrating the friendship between our two nations," she said in a following tweet.

Donald Trump, accompanied by wife Melania and a high-level delegation, visited India earlier this week. During their 36-hour visit, Trump and the US First Lady attended various events and visited two cities - Ahmedabad and Agra - besides the national capital of India.

-- ANI

08:01 Thank you: Kanhaiya on sedition charges

Left leader Kanhaiya Kumar alleged he was being targeted ahead of the assembly polls in Bihar this year when asked about the Aam Aadmi Party giving its nod to his prosecution in a long-pending sedition case.

Kanhaiya Kumar also pointed to other cases - like Davinder Singh, the senior Jammu and Kashmir cop caught last month while travelling to Delhi with three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists - and accused the government of misusing the sedition law for political gains.

"Look at the timing. Chargesheet was filed before Lok Sabha elections (he contested from Bihar's Begusarai seat). Now I am preparing for Bihar (Assembly polls later this year). The country should know how sedition laws are misused for political benefit. There was no sedition case against Davinder Singh..." the Communist Party of India leader said, adding, "I did not raise anti-national slogans".

Kumar also refused to question why the AAP had permitted his prosecution after sitting on an application by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police for over a year; the application was filed on January 19, 2019, after a Delhi court rejected a chargesheet on procedural grounds.

"I don't want to comment on why AAP permitted prosecution. All I want is speedy trial, by a fast-track court, and a decision on this matter to come from the courts... and not from a trial sitting in a TV studio," Kumar added, appealing to officials to "ensure justice by following due process without succumbing to political pressure". He also said he had full faith in the judicial system.

Yunus, 38, has been making frantic rounds of hospitals and mortuaries for the last five days, hoping to find his 16-year-old son Yusuf.

A Class XI student, Yusuf left his home in northeast Delhi's Chand Bagh, which has been wracked by violence for days, on Sunday to go to an eatery and hasn't returned since.

"Around 5 pm on Sunday, I was working in lane number 15 when Yusuf came to me and asked for Rs 100. I gave him the money and he left saying he was going to an eatery. When I reached home at night, I found that my son hadn't returned," Yunus, who works as a plumber, told PTI on Friday.

"Yusuf does not have a mobile phone and we are not aware of his whereabouts. I went to the GTB Hospital today, but he was not there. I searched the mortuary as well but in vain," the worried father said.

Asked why the family hasn't lodged a police complaint yet, Yunus said, "The situation here hasn't been conducive since Monday."

With hope fading, he said the family will now lodge a police complaint.

Yusuf is the eldest of Yunus' three children.

At least 42 people were killed and over 200 injured in the communal clashes that broke out in northeast Delhi after violence between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those opposing it spiralled out of control on Sunday.

Frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at local residents and police personnel.

Besides Chand Bagh, Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Chand Bagh, Shiv Vihar areas were among the riot-hit areas. -- PTI

Image: Relatives of the victims, killed during communal violence in northeast Delhi area over the amended citizenship law, wait outside the mortuary of GTB hospital in New Delhi. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo

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