Jahangirpuri violence: Forensic team reaches ground zero amid security

An eight-member forensic team on Monday reached Jahangirpuri to collect samples in connection with the communal violence that occurred on Hanuman Jayanti in the national capital.

Besides taking photographs of the buildings from where the stones were pelted, the team will also collect forensic samples from the ground.

The team is likely to furnish its report within a week.

“It has reached the mosque where violence started. Staff posted with Jahangirpuri Police Station is accompanying and briefing it besides helping it collect evidence, ” said a senior police official.

On Saturday, the clashes broke out between the two groups when the Shobha Yatra procession was passing through the road just next to Kusal Cinema Hall, on the opposite side of which is a mosque.

According to the FIR lodged at the Jahangirpuri police station, the procession was passing off peacefully, but at around 6 p.m., when it reached outside a mosque, the accused Anshar came there with his 4-5 associates and started arguing with the participants of the yatra.

The argument soon turned violent and both the sides started pelting stones at each other.

“I, Inspector Rajiv Ranjan Singh, tried to pacify the situation and separated the two groups, however, within some time, they again started pelting stones after which I informed the Police Control Room about the development,” read the FIR.

Soon after this, more police force reached the spot along with senior officials, however, by that time the mob had turned completely violent. The mob pelted stones on the police force and also fired shots at them.

At least 8 policemen were injured.To contain the situation and disperse the crowd, the police fired 40-50 tear gas shells. Amid the pandemonium, one scooty was torched and 5-6 cars were vandalised.

The police normalised the situation with the help of paramilitary forces and at around 8 p.m. in the evening the situation was under control, yet tense.

Later, the area became the epicentre of the heavy police deployment, with the road, where the violent clashes took place, extensively barricaded from all sides.

On Sunday, the situation was under control and an adequate number of police force was deployed there to avert any untoward incident.

The police said that area domination, foot patrolling and deep deployment has been ensured to assure people and to maintain law and order in the area.

Special Commissioner of Police, Dependra Pathak, said that the Delhi Police is currently on the top level of alertness. “Our priority is to curtail rumours,” the senior police officer said while speaking to reporters.

Meanwhile, the personnel of Delhi Police carried out preventive patrolling and area domination throughout the night in the backdrop of violent clashes.

Delhi Police is also in talks with the members of the Aman committee.

Court-monitored probe demanded

A letter petition has been filed before the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana urging him to take suo motu cognizance of the Jahangirpuri violence in Delhi.

Advocate Amritpal Singh Khalsa in a letter asked the Supreme Court to exercise its epistolary jurisdiction and constitute a committee headed by a sitting judge of the top court, to conduct an impartial probe into the violence.

The letter stated that the “Delhi Police investigation so far, has been partial, communal and directly shielding perpetrators of the violence.”

The lawyer added that the role of the Delhi Police in the 2020 riots has belittled them and has weakened the faith of the people in them. The letter stated, “This court admonished Delhi Police in their failure to stop violence in 2020.”

This is the second time that riots have erupted in Delhi in two years, and on both occasions, members of the minority community are only to be blamed, he added.

Of the 21 accused persons arrested in the case, 14 were produced before the Rohini court on Sunday, which sent two prime accused – Ansar and Aslam – to police custody for one day. The remaining were sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

Delhi Police Commissioner visit injured SI

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Sunday late night visited a sub-inspector’s residence who sustained a bullet injury during the violence in Jahangirpuri, and assured him of full support from the department.

Sub-Inspector Meda Lal of Jahangirpuri Police Station had suffered the injury during the violent clashes.

Asthana enquired about Lal’s well-being and said that the entire Force is proud of his courage displayed at the site of violence.

One more accused has been arrested in connection with clashes that broke out in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area on Saturday, taking the total number of arrests so far to 21.

Two juveniles have also been apprehended in the connection with the incident that left nine people injured including eight police personnel and a civilian.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Crime Branch and the district police are jointly probing the incident, said Ravindra Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch.