Chargesheet in Delhi riots names BJP leader for murder of 25-yr-old

While the chargesheet, filed on June 23, before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Purushottam Pathak at Delhi’s Karkardooma Court, talks of Brijmohan Sharma’s political ambitions, saying he was known locally as ‘Netaji’, it does not mention any party.




One of those chargesheeted in the murder of a 25-year-old during the riots in Northeast Delhi in February, under arrest since March, is the mahamantri (general secretary) of the BJP’s Brahampuri Mandal and has been associated with the party for over a decade.

While the chargesheet, filed on June 23, before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Purushottam Pathak at Delhi’s Karkardooma Court, talks of Brijmohan Sharma’s political ambitions, saying he was known locally as ‘Netaji’, it does not mention any party.

Brijmohan, 41, was arrested on March 28, along with his neighbour Sunny Singh (32), over the killing of Irfan during the riots at Kartar Nagar, Pusta-4 on February 26. The chargesheet quotes him as confessing to the murder.

His father Harish Chandra Sharma is also a former BJP leader, and was vice-president of the party’s Kisan Morcha.

While confirming Brijmohan was with the BJP, Sharma claimed he had been framed in the riots. “Before the riots, two local policemen had demanded money from two families for allowing construction work. My son stopped that. A month later, when the riots happened, they recorded statements against my son. Local policemen along with our political rivals falsely implicated him. He was sitting at home when the incident took place.”

Delhi riots: 9 of 12 confession statements near copies of one another

“I told my son not to opt for the mahamantri post, but five years ago the party selected him. I have made requests with our party leaders… but it has been three months and 10 days that he is in jail,” Sharma said.

A senior Delhi BJP member confirmed that Brijmohan “held the post”, but added he was unsure of the current status.

Area councillor Rajkumar Ballan also confirmed that Brijmohan was the general secretary of the mandal, but added that since he was in jail, party work was being handled by another general secretary, and that there are two people on a post at this level.

In the chargesheet, police said Irfan’s mother Kuresha had identified Brijmohan and Sunny among the four men who had attacked him. Police said they are yet to arrest the other two.

In her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC, recorded before a magistrate, Kuresha said her son and she had gone out to buy milk and medicines on February 26. “He was walking ahead of me when suddenly some people came outside their homes… One of them hit my son and he fell down. Another hit with a rod, and another with a sword on his head.”

The chargesheet quotes Assistant Sub-Inspector Naushad Haider, who is the complainant, as saying that Irfan was admitted to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, and succumbed to his injuries.

Police have named 28 witnesses, including Irfan’s mother and three local residents. Says the chargesheet: “During questioning, accused Sharma alias Gabbar disclosed that he studied up to class X in a government school and runs a building material business along with his father. For long, he was keen in indulging in political activities, and was known in his area as ‘Netaji’.”

The chargesheet quotes Brijmohan as saying: “For the last few days, riots happened in Northeast Delhi against CAA and NRC in which Muslims killed a number of Hindus. They also torched shops and houses of Hindus… I was furious and was waiting for an opportunity… On February 26, I along with Sunny and two other neighbours got together and two-three other unknown people also joined us. We were carrying iron rod, bat, pipes, canes and raising slogans in our area when we ran into Irfan, who used to call himself a leader (dada) of Muslims. The moment we saw him, the four of us grabbed him…. We cornered him near a grocery shop at Gali No. 1and I hit him on the head with an iron rod; others also hit him on the head with weapons after which he fell unconscious on the ground. We kept on beating him… When we felt he had died, and saw other Muslims were coming towards us, we ran away. Out of fear, I threw my iron road in the drain at Gokulpuri.”

Sunny’s brother Jitendra Singh, however, claimed: “My brother was inside our house when the incident took place and he went out to help Irfan. My brother even called an autorickshaw to take him to the hospital.”

With Abhinav Rajput

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