Northeast riots: Four men arrested for killing four persons, dumping bodies in drains
New Delhi: Four men have been arrested for allegedly killing four other persons and dumping their bodies in drains during the communal violence in northeast Delhi's Gokalpuri area last month, police said on Thursday.
The accused were identified as Pankaj Sharma, Lokesh, Sumit and Ankit, they said.
Four bodies were fished out of Bhagirathi Vihar and Johripur drains by the Delhi police on February 27, they said.
According to police, on February 23 as the situation turned tensed in the area, brothers Amir Ali (31) and Hashim (19) went to their maternal home for safety. After two days, their father Babu Khan, a tailor, asked them to return as the situation had apparently become normal.
Both Amir and Hashim reached Gokalpuri area at about 9.30 PM on a motorcycle and asked their brother Sheruddin to come out in the lane, as they were terrified. But they never reached their home.
On February 28, when the family reached Gokalpuri police station, they learnt that Amir and Hashim were killed and their bodies and burnt motorcycle thrown into the Bhagirathi Vihar drain by rioters.
In another case, on February 25, Musharraf was dragged out of his second floor house in front of his wife and children by rioters. He was beaten to death and his body thrown in the Bhagirathi Vihar drain.
The body was identified by his wife Malika. They have three minor children and lived in a rented house, a senior police officer said.
In another case, Aqil Ahmed, a car mechanic by profession, left his house at Loni in Ghaziabad to meet his brother-in-law at New Mustafabad but he never reached there, the officer said.
When his wife Zahira could not contact him over the phone, she along with her husband's relative came to Delhi where, with the help of police, she identified her husband's body at the GTB mortuary, he said.
Ahmed is survived by his wife and four children, he added.
The four cases have been sent by the police to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DLSA) for compensation.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
