Delhi riots accused gets 'rousing' welcome in parole period

A northeast Delhi riots accused person received a 'grand' welcome in his locality when he was granted a four-hour parole to meet his ailing father.

In the latest video, which went viral on social media, Shahrukh Pathan could be seen walking down the streets of the northeast area of Delhi, accompanied by a handful of policemen and a huge crowd raising slogans in his favour.

While granting the parole, the Court had noted that it was taking a humanitarian approach to grant the relief, only to allow Pathan to meet his ailing parents and no other person. As per sources, the video is of May 23.

The accused rioter, Shahrukh Pathan, was involved in an infamous incident of 2020 northeast Delhi riots in which he was found brandishing a loaded pistol towards a policeman in the Jafrabad area.

In the said case, the court had framed charges against Shahrukh Pathan, who had allegedly pointed a gun at a policeman, observing the accused raised his pistol -- not sideways but straight -- aiming at Delhi Police Head Constable (HC) Deepak Dahiya, who is taller than him but the direction of the pistol was aimed at the cop's head and even the point at which the trigger is pulled, the aim was straight towards Dahiya.

His illegal firearm, a 7.65 mm pistol along with two live rounds was recovered and several shots had been fired by him, according to police.

The judge charged Pathan under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of duty), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC.

Charges were also framed under sections 353 (assault), 307 (attempt to murder) read with section 149 (member of unlawful assembly guilty of a common offence) of the IPC and various sections of the Arms Act, to which he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Pathan is currently lodged in the Tihar Jail after he was arrested on March 3 last year. Over 50 people had died in the riots.