Five years after Faizan, a 23-year-old Muslim youth, died from injuries sustained during Delhi's communal riots, the Central Bureau of Investigation has formally named two police personnel as suspects in his killing—a development that underscores both the glacial pace of justice and the institutional challenges of holding law enforcement accountable in India.
Head Constable Ravinder Kumar and Constable Pawan Yadav face charges of voluntarily causing grievous hurt and causing death with knowledge their actions were likely fatal, according to a chargesheet accepted by a special CBI court on February 5. The next hearing is scheduled for February 24.
The case centers on a viral video from February 26, 2020, showing five men—including Faizan—lying injured on the ground while Delhi Police personnel allegedly forced them to sing the national anthem and Vande Mataram, occasionally striking them with lathis. After the assault, police transported the injured men to GTB Hospital, then to Jyoti Nagar police station where Faizan was held for over 24 hours before being released. He died the next day from his injuries.
In India, as across the subcontinent, scale and diversity make simple narratives impossible—and fascinating. The 2020 Delhi riots resulted in 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries, erupting in the capital during then-U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit. The violence exposed deep communal fault lines and raised serious questions about the role of law enforcement, with numerous allegations that police targeted Muslim youth.
The investigation's five-year trajectory reveals the institutional difficulties of police investigating their own. The Delhi High Court noted "various anomalies and aberrations" in the Delhi Police probe and ordered the case transferred to the CBI in July 2024, following a petition by Faizan's mother, Kismatun, who alleged her son "died at the hands of the Delhi police."
Vrinda Grover, the lawyer representing Faizan's family, criticized the investigation as "belated and half-hearted." She noted the video evidence shows "more than two policemen involved in the targeted assault," yet the CBI has only identified two suspects. Additionally, officials at Jyoti Nagar police station who held Faizan in what Grover called "illegal detention" remain uncharged.
"This represents a case where the brotherhood of Khaki continues to overwhelm a mother's right to justice," Grover stated, according to Newslaundry.
The case has become emblematic of accountability challenges in Indian law enforcement. When police investigate fellow officers, credibility suffers—a reality the Delhi High Court acknowledged in characterizing Faizan's death as a "hate crime" and ordering the transfer to an independent investigative agency.
For a mother in Delhi, five years represents an interminable wait for answers about her son's death, documented on video for the world to see. For India's criminal justice system, the case raises uncomfortable questions about institutional reform, communal violence, and whether the promise of equal justice under law extends to those who die at the hands of the state.
