In the charge sheets it has filed in connection with the Delhi riots, the Delhi Police has attached as much focus on the “chronology” that allegedly led to the riots, as to the communal violence that took place in February 2020.
For instance in the charge sheet filed last week in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau employee Ankit Sharma, (detailed report here) the police has included an over 1500 word long section titled “Chronology Of Events Leading To Riots In North-East, Delhi” – that lays down the premise on which the police appears to be basing its entire probe into the violence. And the premise is clear - the police believes that the riots were a planned conspiracy by a section of the protesters against CAA and any violence from the other side was a retaliation.
The interesting part is that the police’s “chronology” entirely omits BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s speech at Maujpur on 23 February, in which he gave an ultimatum to the Delhi Police to “clear the streets” in three days or he would get it done on his own.