In continuation of the witch-hunt of academicians by the Police forces, Professor Apoorvanand who teaches Hindi at the University of Delhi was interrogated by the Delhi Police in connection with the Nort-East Delhi Riots on Monday (3rd August, 2020). He was interrogated for nearly 5 hours and his phone was also confiscated by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in this regard.
— Apoorvanand अपूर्वानंद (@Apoorvanand__) August 4, 2020
The well-known academician Apoorvanand has co-operated with the police in the investigation and through his statement in a tweet has urged the Delhi Police to conduct a fair, just and thorough investigation into the violence. The incident took place in February this year which lead to the death of 53 people and had left more than 400 people injured.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police had on 31st July, 2020 interrogated former JNU Student and Activist Umar Khalid in connection with North East Delhi Violence. The Police had confiscated his phone as well.
Prof Apoorvanand’s statement read as under:
On Monday, August 3, 2020, I was asked by the Special Cell, Delhi Police, to appear before it in the investigation into FIR no 59/20 related to the violence that happened in NE Delhi in February, 2020. I spent five hours there. The Delhi Police also considered it necessary to seize my phone for the purpose of investigation. While cooperating and respecting the right of police authorities to conduct a full, fair and thorough investigation, one can only hope that the probe would focus on the real instigators and perpetrators of the violence against a peaceful citizens’ protest and the people of Northeast Delhi.
It should not lead to further harassment and victimization of the protestors and their supporters, who asserted their democratic rights through constitutional means, while stating their dissent to the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) and the decision of the GOI to operationalise the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), all over the country. It is disturbing to see a theory emerging which treats the supporters of the protestors as the source of violence. I would urge the police and expect their probe to be thorough, just and fair so that truth prevails.”
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