Delhi violence: 8 held for killings of IB employee, police constable

Delhi Police on Thursday (March 12) said seven people have been arrested in connection with the killing of head constable Ratan Lal during the communal violence in the city’s northeast area last month.

Besides, the police also apprehended a man on Thursday for the murder of IB employee Ankit Sharma during the riots.

While Ratan Lal died of bullet injuries during the clashes in Gokalpuri on February 24, Sharma’s body was found in a drain near Delhi’s Chand Bagh area on February 26, a day after he went missing.

“Seven people have been arrested in Ratan Lal’s case. It emerged during investigation that the spot where the incident took place was the venue for an anti-CAA protest. On the fateful day, a conspiracy was hatched to attack police,” a senior Delhi Police official said.

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The evidence in this regard has been collected and the arrested persons are both conspirators as well as rioters, he said.

The accused have been identified as Saleem Malik (38), Mohd Jalaluddin (33), Mohd Ayub (35), Mohd Yunus (32), Arif (27), Mohd Saleem (46), all residents of Chand Bagh, and Mohd Danish (23) from Loni, Ghaziabad, said police.

Meanwhile, the special cell of the police apprehended a man, who was identified as Salman alias Nanhe, in connection with Sharma’s killing. Earlier, police had arrested suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain in the case.

Sharma’s family members had claimed Hussain had instigated the mob that allegedly killed Sharma. However, Hussain has claimed innocence in the case and maintained he was shifted to a “safe place” from his house on February 24.

(With inputs from agencies)

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