The Citizens Committee on the Delhi Riots, an independent investigation panel set up by a group of former civil servants to examine the events surrounding the February violence, has asked all those who have any direct knowledge about the case to reach out to the members. The identities of those who share information will be kept confidential, the panel said.

The committee comprises former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan Lokur, former Chief Justice of the Madras and Delhi high courts and former chairperson, Law Commission Justice AP Shah, former judge of the Delhi high court Justice RS Sodhi, former judge of the Patna high court Justice Anjana Prakash, former Union home secretary GK Pillai, and former director-general of the Bureau of Police Research and Development Meeran Chadha Borwankar.

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In a public notice, the members have asked all those “who have information and material pertaining to Delhi riots to send such information and material, in as much detail as possible,” to the committee. “Based on a perusal of this information, the Committee may invite persons for further interactions, keeping their identity confidential,” it said.

The group said that based on these statements, it would investigate the events that transpired before and during the riots, including the response of the state machinery in dealing with the violence. It will assess the response of the police force to the violence. Besides, the panel would examine the role of mainstream and social media in spreading real or fake news before, during and after the violence, and assess the civic administration’s efforts at providing relief and extending reparations to the victims.

“Within this framework of principles, the Committee will collect and scrutinise primary material, including first person account of those who have direct knowledge of the events and issues within the Committee’s purview, FIRs, Charge-sheets and other documents prepared by government agencies, audio-visual and documentary material that have a bearing on matters under examination,” the public notice said.

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The committee will also review secondary material including reports and accounts already in the public domain, members said.

One can make their submissions to the committee here.

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The Constitutional Conduct Group, a collective of former bureaucrats who worked with the Centre as well as different state governments, had constituted the committee of six former public functionaries on October 11. The aim, it said, was to create a “contemporary record of acts of omission and commission” around the Delhi violence.

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Noting that “the investigation carried out into the riots by the Delhi Police has evoked extensive critical commentary in recent times”, it said the need for a “ fair and objective” probe by a nonpartisan agency was paramount.

The committee will be allowed to formulate its own procedure and will submit a final report to the Constitutional Conduct Group within 12 weeks of starting its work.

The violence and its aftermath

The violence in Delhi between February 23 and 26, set off by clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act, took the lives of 53 people and wounded hundreds.

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The police claim that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and was hatched by those who organised the protests against the amended Citizenship Act. They further claimed the protestors had secessionist motives and were using “the facade of civil disobedience” to destabilise the government. The police have arrested several activists and students based on these “conspiracy” charges. But the police have been accused of either inaction or complicity in some instances of violence.

The police have named 15 people as accused in a 17,000-page-long chargesheet. All accused have been charged under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.