From 23 to 26 February 2020, clashes over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in northeast Delhi became communal violence that killed 53 people and burnt homes, shops and places of worship. The government calls it a conspiracy by anti-CAA activists; critics blame BJP leaders' speeches and police inaction. Six years on, the UAPA conspiracy trial has not begun and most decided riot cases have ended in acquittal.
Key takeaways
- The riots of 23 to 26 February 2020 killed 53 people, the official count; a police list filed in court showed 40 of 52 civilian dead were Muslim and 12 Hindu, as reported by The Wire.
- Violence followed an anti-CAA road blockade at Jafrabad and BJP leader Kapil Mishra's three-day ultimatum to police at Maujpur on 23 February.
- Amit Shah called the riots a pre-planned conspiracy contained in 36 hours; critics and a Delhi Minorities Commission panel blamed BJP leaders' speeches and police inaction.
- Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, accused in the UAPA "larger conspiracy" case, remain in jail without trial after bail refusals in January and September 2026.
- Of 116 riot cases decided by August 2025, 97 ended in acquittal; in July 2026 Tahir Hussain and four others got life terms for IB staffer Ankit Sharma's murder.
Background: the Jafrabad blockade
Sit-ins against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act had run in Delhi for about two months Al Jazeera. On the evening of Saturday 22 February 2020, hundreds of people, mostly women, blocked a road near Jafrabad metro station, in response to a bandh called for Sunday by Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad. The Delhi Metro shut the gates of Jafrabad and Maujpur-Babarpur stations PTI via TNM.
Police say protesters at Chand Bagh, refused permission for a march on 23 February, briefly blocked Wazirabad road The Quint, citing chargesheet.
Kapil Mishra's 23 February speech
On 23 February BJP leader Kapil Mishra addressed a pro-CAA gathering at Maujpur with DCP (North East) Ved Prakash Surya beside him. In a video he posted, he said that until US President Donald Trump left India they would leave peacefully, and that after that "we won't listen to you" if the roads were not cleared Scroll. His caption gave police "three days to empty the streets in Jaffrabad and Chandbagh" Tribune.
Stone-pelting between the two groups followed in Maujpur, and police fired tear gas PTI via TNM. Claim · Kapil Mishra Questioned by police in July 2020, Mishra said he had gone to Maujpur to resolve the situation, had not delivered a speech, and was only announcing a demonstration he would lead Scroll, citing Indian Express.
Timeline of the violence
First clashes
Pro-CAA groups rallied at Maujpur chowk while anti-CAA protesters held Jafrabad. Section 144 was later imposed at 10 locations PTI via TNM.
Head constable killed at Chand Bagh
A crowd at the Chand Bagh protest site attacked a police team. Head Constable Ratan Lal, 42, died of a firearm wound; DCP Shahdara Amit Sharma and ACP Gokulpuri Anuj Kumar were seriously injured The Quint Tribune.
Arson spreads
Houses, a fire tender and vehicles were set on fire in Jafrabad and Maujpur, and a man fired eight rounds on the Jafrabad-Maujpur road PTI via TNM.
Worst day
A mosque in Ashok Nagar was set on fire Al Jazeera, and a school and a mosque were burnt in Mustafabad Scroll. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his MLAs reported a "severe shortage" of police Al Jazeera.
Midnight hearing
Justices S Muralidhar and Anup Bhambhani sat at Muralidhar's home after Al Hind Hospital in Mustafabad reported two dead and about 22 injured patients it could not move. They ordered police to give ambulances safe passage The Wire.
Doval tours, toll at 27
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval toured affected areas and said the situation was "totally under control". The Centre said the Army was not needed, though Kejriwal had asked for it. IB staffer Ankit Sharma's body was found in a drain at Chand Bagh Scroll.
The dead and the damage
The official toll reached 53 on 5 March 2020, 44 of them recorded at GTB Hospital Outlook. A list annexed to a Delhi Police affidavit of 13 July 2020 showed 40 of the 52 civilians killed were Muslim and 12 Hindu; the 53rd was Ratan Lal The Wire. Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha that "52 Indians have died", 526 were injured, and 371 shops and 142 houses were burnt, and declined to give a religious breakdown ETV Bharat. Injury counts in the press range from over 200 The Wire to over 700 PTI via Tribune.
IB staffer Ankit Sharma's post-mortem found 51 injuries LiveLaw.
Police conduct: allegations and the police position
Claim · victims and rights groups Victims and opposition leaders accused police of standing by or joining in Al Jazeera. Documented In a video shot on 24 February, policemen beat a 23-year-old man, Faizan, and four others while ordering them to sing the national anthem. He died within a day of release from police custody Scroll. In July 2024 the Delhi High Court moved that probe to the CBI, calling the police investigation "sketchy" and the alleged acts "driven by religious bigotry" Scroll.
Police's position In a July 2020 affidavit, Delhi Police told the High Court it "acted promptly, vigilantly and effectively without any fear or favour". It said no evidence showed its officers were involved, "no actionable evidence" showed the political leaders named had instigated the riots, and the violence was "a well thought of conspiracy" PTI via Deccan Herald. In the Faizan case police said officers in the video were hard to identify Tribune.
The government's position
Government's position In the Lok Sabha on 11 March 2020, Amit Shah called the riots a pre-planned conspiracy and said police had contained them within 36 hours, to 4% of Delhi's area and 12 of 230 police stations. He cited 1,100 people identified by face-recognition software, three arrests over hawala funding and 60 social media accounts opened on 22 February and shut on 26 February, and, without naming it, blamed a Congress rally of 14 December 2019 ETV Bharat.
Shah said that "after 25th February, no incident of rioting took place" NDTV via The Wire. Scroll reported violence continuing on 26 February Scroll. The opposition demanded his resignation.
The High Court, hate speech FIRs and Justice Muralidhar
On 26 February Justices Muralidhar and Talwant Singh heard activist Harsh Mander's plea for FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma, and had the clips played in court. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said "there are hate speeches from every quarter". Muralidhar said "the city is burning"; Mehta replied "the city is not burning, it's only a few areas". The court told police to decide on FIRs The Leaflet.
That night the Centre notified Muralidhar's transfer to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Congress called it "hit-and-run injustice" Scroll. Government's position Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a "well-settled process" was followed on the collegium's recommendation of 12 February, with the judge's consent Tribune.
On 27 February a bench led by Chief Justice DN Patel heard Mehta say "We have decided to defer the registration of FIR", and gave the Centre four weeks Scroll. In December 2021 the Supreme Court, noting no progress, asked the High Court to decide within three months PTI via The Leaflet. No final ruling was found in the reporting reviewed.
No FIR has been registered against Mishra, now Delhi's Law Minister, over the riots. A magistrate's April 2025 order for further investigation of his role, which police opposed saying he was being framed LiveLaw, was set aside in November 2025 as beyond the magistrate's jurisdiction Tribune. In March 2026 another magistrate refused to order an FIR Siasat.
The Delhi Minorities Commission report
A 10-member fact-finding committee of the Delhi Minorities Commission, headed by advocate MR Shamshad, released a 135-page report in July 2020. Claim · DMC committee It called the violence "planned, organised and targeted", said it began almost immediately after Mishra's speech, and alleged police inaction and complicity. It said chargesheets ignored Mishra's speech Scroll. Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana called it "a political report". A police spokesperson said police had not received it.
The "larger conspiracy" UAPA case, FIR 59/2020
Claim · Delhi Police The Special Cell's FIR 59/2020, under the IPC and UAPA, alleges anti-CAA activists plotted the riots; a chargesheet against 15 accused was filed on 16 September 2020 Deccan Herald. Police told the Supreme Court it was a "regime change operation" under the guise of "peaceful protest" Verdictum. The accused deny it; Khalid's lawyer says there is "no recovery" and "no violence alleged" against him The Wire, citing LiveLaw.
- June 2021: The Delhi High Court bailed Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha, saying "the state has blurred the line" between the right to protest and "terrorist activity" Tribune.
- 2 Sept 2025: The High Court refused bail to Khalid, Imam and seven others LiveLaw.
- 5 Jan 2026: The Supreme Court bailed five co-accused including Gulfisha Fatima, but held Khalid and Imam stand "on a qualitatively different footing"; they may reapply after a year or once protected witnesses testify Verdictum.
- 22 May 2026: After another bench questioned that ruling, the Supreme Court sent the law on UAPA bail and trial delay to a larger bench and gave Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi interim bail LiveLaw.
- 4 July and 30 Sept 2026: The trial court, then the High Court, refused Khalid and Imam bail as bound by the Supreme Court's conditions Bar and Bench. Both have been in custody over six years without trial The Wire.
Both accounts
Victims' and critics' account
The Minorities Commission panel and victims' lawyers say months of BJP leaders' speeches and Mishra's ultimatum led to attacks largely targeting Muslims, that police failed to act or took part, and that investigators blamed anti-CAA activists while ignoring those speeches Scroll.
Police and government account
Police and the Home Minister say the riots were a pre-planned conspiracy, which Shah linked to the Trump visit, that the Chand Bagh attack on police was premeditated, that police acted without fear or favour, and that no evidence implicates the BJP leaders named The Quint PTI via Deccan Herald ETV Bharat.
Verdicts and criticism of the police
The first conviction, in December 2021, was of a man in a mob that burnt a 73-year-old woman's house; he got five years Tribune. Discharging three accused in September 2021, Judge Vinod Yadav wrote that "the failure of investigating agency to conduct a proper investigation" would "torment the sentinels of democracy" BOOM. In May 2025 a court acquitted 12 men accused over the killing of Hashim Ali, finding only "fragments and pieces of evidence" Tribune.
By August 2025, 116 of 695 rioting and arson cases had verdicts: 97 acquittals, 19 convictions. In at least 17 acquittals judges flagged police misconduct, including "fabricated" evidence Indian Express review via The Wire. In a 2021 affidavit police said all cases were investigated "promptly, diligently, fairly" PTI via Deccan Herald.
On 13 July 2026 Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh convicted Tahir Hussain and four others of Ankit Sharma's murder and acquitted six LiveLaw. Police sought the death penalty; on 31 July the court gave life terms, saying the prosecution had not proved the convicts were beyond reformation PTI via ThePrint. Hussain has appealed LiveLaw. In the Ratan Lal case, charges were ordered against 25 accused in November 2024 Tribune.
Outcome
- Deaths: 53, including one policeman.
- Cases: 758 FIRs; 62 major cases with three Crime Branch SITs; one conspiracy case with the Special Cell PTI via Deccan Herald.
- Arrests: 2,647 detained or arrested by 11 March 2020, per Shah The Wire; about 700 arrested by the Crime Branch by May ETV Bharat.
- Verdicts: 97 acquittals and 19 convictions in 116 cases to August 2025.
- Inquiries: Minorities Commission panel report, July 2020; CBI probe into Faizan's death since 2024.
What is still pending
The FIR 59/2020 trial has not begun, and Khalid and Imam remain in custody; a larger Supreme Court bench is yet to settle the law on UAPA bail and trial delay. Hussain's appeal is pending, and no verdict in the Ratan Lal case was found. Most of the 758 cases were undecided at the last count reviewed.
Questions people ask
How many people died in the 2020 Delhi riots?
53, the official count, including head constable Ratan Lal. A police list filed in court showed 40 of the 52 civilians killed were Muslim and 12 Hindu, as reported by The Wire.
What did Kapil Mishra say on 23 February 2020?
Beside a DCP at Maujpur, he gave police three days to clear roads at Jafrabad and Chand Bagh. He later told police it was only an announcement of a demonstration. No FIR has been registered against him over the riots.
Why are Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam still in jail?
The Supreme Court found a prima facie UAPA case against them in January 2026 and said they could reapply after a year or once protected witnesses testify. The High Court refused bail again on 30 September 2026.
Why have so many riot cases ended in acquittal?
Judges in at least 17 of 97 acquittals to August 2025 cited fabricated evidence, invented witnesses or poor investigation, an Indian Express review found.
Sources
- Outlook: Death toll in last week's Delhi riots rises to 53, 5 Mar 2020
- ETV Bharat: 700 persons arrested for north-east Delhi riots, 26 May 2020
- PTI via The News Minute: Delhi constable killed amidst clashes, 24 Feb 2020
- Tribune: Kapil Mishra gives ultimatum to Delhi Police, 24 Feb 2020
- Scroll: Kapil Mishra claimed he did not deliver any speech, says chargesheet, 22 Sept 2020
- The Quint: Inside police chargesheet into HC Ratan Lal's death, 23 June 2020
- Tribune: Court orders framing of charges against 25 in head constable death case, 25 Nov 2024
- Al Jazeera: Mosque set on fire during Delhi's worst violence in decades, 26 Feb 2020
- Scroll: Toll mounts to 27 on Day 4, Doval says situation under control, 26 Feb 2020
- The Wire: After late night HC direction, injured get safe passage, 26 Feb 2020
- The Wire: Delhi Police affidavit shows Muslims bore brunt of riots, 16 July 2020
- ETV Bharat: Delhi Police contained riot in 36 hrs, says Amit Shah, 11 Mar 2020
- The Wire: In LS debate, Amit Shah lauds police, 11 Mar 2020
- Tribune: First convict in Delhi riots gets 5 years in jail, 20 Jan 2022
- LiveLaw: Court convicts Tahir Hussain, others in Ankit Sharma murder case, 13 July 2026
- Scroll: Delhi HC tells CBI to probe death of man beaten by policemen, 23 July 2024
- Tribune: Delhi High Court orders CBI probe into death of man assaulted by cops, 24 July 2024
- PTI via Deccan Herald: No evidence yet of politicians instigating riots, police to HC, 14 July 2020
- The Leaflet: Delhi HC expresses displeasure at police inaction on FIRs, 26 Feb 2020
- Scroll: Congress criticises HC judge's transfer, 27 Feb 2020
- PTI via Tribune: Justice Muralidhar transferred on collegium's recommendation, says Prasad, 27 Feb 2020
- Scroll: Time not suited for hate speech FIRs, police tell HC, 27 Feb 2020
- PTI via The Leaflet: SC requests Delhi HC to dispose of hate speech FIR plea early, 17 Dec 2021
- LiveLaw: Court stays order directing further investigation against Kapil Mishra, 9 Apr 2025
- Tribune: Court quashes order for fresh investigation against Kapil Mishra, 11 Nov 2025
- Siasat: Delhi court refuses to order FIR against Minister Kapil Mishra, 13 Mar 2026
- Scroll: Minority panel report blames BJP leaders, 17 July 2020
- Deccan Herald: Chronology of events in Delhi riots case, 5 Jan 2026
- Verdictum: Supreme Court denies bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, grants bail to Gulfisha Fatima and others, 5 Jan 2026
- The Wire: Delhi court denies bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam again, 4 July 2026
- Tribune: Holding protest not terror act, says Delhi High Court, 16 June 2021
- LiveLaw: High Court denies bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and 7 others, 2 Sept 2025
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court refers UAPA bail conflict to larger bench, 22 May 2026
- Bar and Bench: Delhi High Court denies bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, 30 Sept 2026
- The Wire: Over six years without trial, Delhi High Court denies bail, 30 Sept 2026
- BOOM: Police failed to prove case against Tahir Hussain's brother, 2 Sept 2021
- Tribune: Court acquits 12 of murder charge, 6 May 2025
- The Wire: Courts cite fabricated evidence, rebuke police in acquittals (citing Indian Express), 17 Sept 2025
- PTI via Deccan Herald: Chargesheets filed in 361 Delhi riots cases out of 758, 25 Nov 2021
- PTI via ThePrint: Life imprisonment for Tahir Hussain, 4 others, 31 July 2026
- LiveLaw: Tahir Hussain moves High Court against conviction, 26 Aug 2026