Man wanted in 2020 northeast Delhi riots cases held from UP’s Bulandshahr

New Delhi: A 29-year-old man wanted in several cases related to last year’s northeast Delhi riots and was declared a proclaimed offender has been arrested from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Monday.

Police received information on Saturday that the accused, Mohammad Salman, was in Bulandshahr. Following this, he was apprehended from the Civil Lines area of the city, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Deo said.

The police officer claimed that during interrogation, Salman, a resident of Yamuna Vihar in Delhi”s North Ghonda area, disclosed that he was in a “state of aggression” over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issues.

On February 24 last year, people had gathered at Ghonda to protest these issues. When the mob became violent and started damaging properties, Salman joined them in setting fire to several shops and vehicles, the DCP claimed.

Some people also fired at houses belonging to a particular community, Deo claimed.

Salman was identified through statements of witnesses, video footage and disclosure statement of co-accused, police said.

Communal clashes had broken out in north-east Delhi on February 24, 2020 after violence between the Citizenship (Amendment) Act supporters and its protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and over 700 injured.