The police have arrested 63 persons so far for their involvement in the riots that broke out during the procession called on August 11 to condemn alleged atrocities on Muslims in Assam and Burma.
The Mumbai crime branch on Friday filed part of the charge sheet in the Azad Maidan riots case that had occurred on August 11.
The charge sheet, which has been filed against 57 persons, runs into seven books consisting of 3,384 pages. It includes the statements of 851 witnesses, including those of 736 government servants and policemen. It also includes the statements of 86 citizens and 29 mediapersons.
The violence which followed the rally, which protested against the killing of Muslims in Assam and Burma, left 92 injured, including 76 policemen, two fire officials and four journalists.
The crime branch had arrested 63 accused in the case, with the first arrest being made on August 11 and the last on October 20. Out of these, five persons were discharged from the case as they were found to be innocent and 45 others were granted bail.
One of the accused is a juvenile against whom a separate charge sheet will be filed in the juvenile court. Yusuf Khan, the Burmese national, and Salim Lightwala have been named as the main conspirators in the charge sheet.
Property worth Rs2.75 crores was destroyed as a result of the violence. Of this, property worth Rs36,44,680 belonged to the government, and the remaining was private. “The organisers of the rally, Madina Tul Ilm Foundation, have been ordered to pay the damages under section 51 of the Mumbai Police Act,” said Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police (crime).
The accused named in the charge sheet have been charged under various sections of the IPC, including murder and attempted murder. They have also been booked under the Information Technology Act.
“They have all been booked under the same section till the stage of framing of charges. So far, we do not suspect any foreign hand in the violence. Out of the arrested accused, four have been identified as the ones who molested the policewomen, and 21 others as the ones who assaulted policemen,” added Roy.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}