New Delhi

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the city police to probe without influence from any side into the incident in which a 23-year-old youth Faizan was forced to sing 'Vande Mataram' during the 2020 riots. The youth had later succumbed to the injuries sustained during the violence.

"The Court has no ground to disbelieve the highest officer of the police, your IPS rank officer. You are responsible person but I am directing you, without influence from any side, you have to investigate the matter as per the mandate of CrPC as well as Delhi Police Rules and Regulations," the bench said.

During the course of the hearing, Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for petitioner Kismatun, the mother of the deceased youth, pointed out the large number of injuries in post mortem.

In the last couple of hearings, the court had pulled up Delhi Police over the nearly two years delay in the investigation of the incident.

In one of the hearings, the bench of Justice Mukta Gupta had come down heavily on the delay of the Delhi Police, saying: "You have done your level best? These were five children who were assaulted. One has died and four are surviving. It is an offence of murder, right? In this case, you have not taken the help of eyewitnesses but gone around the world."

The video of the incident, showing the injured youth, identified as Faizan, lying on the ground as some uniformed men forced him to sing 'Vande Mataram' and the national anthem, had gone viral during the riots.

The riots broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020 after clashes between anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and pro-CAA protesters took a violent turn. The mayhem, which coincided with the then US President Donald Trump's maiden trip to India, saw over 50 people lose their lives.