Jahangirpuri riot accused held press meet with police, video surfaces

New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) A video of Tabrez Khan, an accused held in connection with the Jahangirpuri violence by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, has surfaced in which he can be seen addressing a press meet and asking the police to remove the force from the area.

This is being regarded as a failure of the Delhi Police as a criminal involved in the riot was seen addressing a press meet with the senior police officials.

In a few videos and photos, accessed by IANS, Tabrez could be seen participating in the 'Tiranga Yatra' along with Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North West, Usha Rangnani.

Interestingly, it was Khan who had written a letter to the Delhi Police, accessed by IANS, to carry out the 'Tiranga Yatra'.

Soon after the photos and videos of Tabrez with the police official surfaced, the police said that a meeting of the Aman Committee was called in which a number of people had gathered at that time and Khan could be one of them.

Clarifying their stand on this, the police on Sunday said in a note, "News is being circulated in the media that one accused named Tabrez Alam has been arrested by crime branch Delhi Police in connection with riot case of 16/04/22 of PS Jahangirpuri.

"It is further being circulated that said Tabrez was one of the members of peace Aman Committee of PS Jahangirpuri and one of the organisers of Tiranga Yatra that was carried out in Jahangirpuri area on April 20, to send a message of communal harmony and peace. In this regard, it is clarified that after riots in Jahangirpuri, police had a prime and a very focused role of establishing peace and order in the area, during which a large number of people of all communities were co-opted to appeal to people to maintain peace and communal harmony.

"Anyone from the area who approached the local police with the same idea was associated with the Aman Committee as a confidence-building measure with the community. Investigation is independent from law and order and if the role of anyone is established during investigation, the same is dealt with as per law irrespective of the fact whether he has helped the local police in establishing peace and harmony post riots in the area or otherwise."

Despite the clarification, the pictures of Khan with the police and that too soon after the violence has raised questions as to how the police's intelligence department failed to identify the accused at that time.

Khan was arrested on Saturday along with two others -- Zaheer Khan alias Jalil and Anabul alias Sheikh.