Delhi Riots 2020: Twelve Heart-Wrenching Testimonies of Hindu Victims
Six years after the February 2020 violence in North-East Delhi, bereaved families recount killings, arson, displacement, and the enduring trauma of identity-targeted attacks.
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Between 23 and 26 February 2020, North-East Delhi witnessed one of the most violent episodes in the national capital's recent history. What began amid escalating tensions soon spiralled into targeted killings, arson, mob violence, and large-scale destruction of property. Several Hindus lost their lives in the violence.
Six years later, many affected families continue to live with trauma, displacement, and a deep sense of insecurity. Presented below are twelve testimonies that capture the human cost of the riots through the voices of survivors and those who lost their loved ones.
1. "I lifted my son's body with these hands"
Hari Singh Solanki, a resident of Mustafabad, recalls 25 February 2020 as the darkest day of his life. His 26-year-old son, Rahul Solanki, a junior engineer, had stepped out merely to buy milk.
According to Solanki, a violent mob armed with sticks, stones, and iron rods surrounded his son. "I saw them from a distance. I tried to reach him, but every lane was blocked by violence," he recounted in an interview. Rahul was killed.
"Which father is meant to carry his son's corpse?" Solanki asks. Years later, the void remains unfilled.
2. Stones stockpiled, women and children mobilised
A Hindu woman from Sonia Vihar described a night of terror. From her rented accommodation, she reportedly saw groups shouting religious slogans, armed with rods, bricks, and firearms.
She alleged that stones had been stockpiled in advance and that women and minors were also handed projectiles. "I did not sleep that entire night," she said, describing what she perceived as coordinated mobilisation.
3. Livelihood reduced to ashes
Shyam, a tea vendor from Bhajanpura, says he watched helplessly as vehicles burned and houses were set ablaze. Fearing for his family's safety in nearby Yamuna Vihar, he asked his wife to flee with their children.
The next morning, he found his tea shop, his sole source of income, reduced to cinders. "Twenty-five years of work disappeared overnight," he said.
4. Forced to remove religious markers
Gopal recalls hearing that Vinod Kumar was killed after his motorcycle, bearing a ‘Jai Shri Ram' sticker, drew attention.
Fearful, Gopal removed religious stickers from his own vehicle and even cut off the sacred thread, or kalava, tied to his wrist to avoid identification.
5. "We built it penny by penny"
An elderly couple in Shiv Vihar described their home, built after selling ancestral land, as being attacked with stones and petrol bombs. Threats were shouted from outside.
"Every rupee was saved with sacrifice," the elderly woman said, breaking down as she revisited the night that turned their life's savings into rubble.
6. Saved by a name
One Hindu victim recounted that, while returning from duty, he was allegedly accosted near a building associated in reports with former councillor Tahir Hussain.
Fearing for his life, he donned a cap and identified himself as "Imran". According to his account, he was released after stating a Muslim name and managed to escape.
7. "They were 20 to 25 thousand; we were 200"
ACP Anuj Kumar, injured during the violence in Chand Bagh, described escorting injured DCP Amit Sharma amid heavy stone-pelting.
Anuj Kumar,ACP Gokulpuri: On Feb 24,I was taking him(DCP Shahadra Amit Sharma)to hospital as he was injured.Protesters were pelting stones&I too got hit on head. We did not know that Rattan Lal got shot.We took Rattan to GTB hospital,where he could not be revived&later DCP to Max pic.twitter.com/mJjKy336C0
— ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2020
"Crowds in the thousands; we were barely 200," he said. Despite sustaining head injuries, he continued assisting in the evacuation of his senior officer.
8. "This one is a Hindu…"
A young survivor narrated that he heard attackers shouting identification-based slogans. Armed with rods wrapped in barbed wire, knives, and petrol bombs, the mob reportedly chased individuals based on perceived identity.
"How I survived, only I know," he said.
9. "I could do nothing…"
Nitin Kumar from Brahmpuri described riding with his father, Vinod Kumar, to purchase medicine. A sudden attack by a crowd allegedly armed with stones and sticks led to fatal injuries for his father.
"My father died on the spot," Nitin said, recalling that their motorcycle was set on fire as he pleaded for help.
10. Shot while returning home
Yatendra Kumar of Yamuna Vihar recounted being shot while riding back after dropping children at tuition. Despite being injured, he managed to reach a hospital on his scooter.
"There was chaos everywhere," he said.
11. A quarter-century of labour lost
Another shopkeeper from Chand Bagh described how his tea stall, built over 25 years, was looted and burned. Equipment purchased through loans was destroyed.
"In minutes, everything was gone," he stated.
12. A mother's irreparable loss
In Prem Vihar, a mother still replays the moment her son, Alok Tiwari, stepped out despite her warnings. He was caught in the violence and sustained fatal head injuries.
"He was dying in front of me, and I could do nothing," she said. Today, his children are growing up without their father.
The Delhi riots of 2020 remain the subject of extensive judicial proceedings, investigations, and political debate. Chargesheets, counter-allegations, and competing narratives continue to shape public discourse.
However, beyond the courtroom and the political arena lies the lived reality of affected families, marked by displacement, economic ruin, and psychological trauma.
Six years later, many survivors continue to seek closure, justice, and a sense of security in the nation's capital.
Written by
Kewali Kabir Jain
Journalism Student, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication