Police conduct flash raids to nab rioters in Delhi

Delhi Police started conducting multiple flash raids to apprehend rioters on Tuesday as east Delhi's Trilokpuri limped towards normalcy.

Delhi Police started conducting multiple flash raids to apprehend rioters on Tuesday as east Delhi's Trilokpuri limped towards normalcy.

The raids, the police insist, are subtle and quick so as not to attract the ire of local residents and trigger fresh violence.

In addition, the police believe, these raids are essential as initial instigators of similar incidents have been found to be susceptible either to relapse or to flee by the time the epicentre of the violence triggered by them finish picking up threads of normalcy.

"We are seeking assistance from media houses, cameramen and local residents to identify anyone possibly linked to the violence," said Sanjay Baniwal, joint commissioner of police (eastern range).

"We arrested one such rioter purely based on evidence weaned from a video shot by a resident in a cell phone. The evidence makes him culpable for rioting and an accused under relevant sections of the Arms Act," Baniwal added.

Though Baniwal refused to comment on when the police were likely to question the area's former councillor, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Sunil Vaidya, sources said they were in the process of gathering 'more' evidence against him.

"At the moment, we have enough information about his alleged role in summoning outsiders on the second day of the rioting but we need a little more before we officially ask him to join the investigations," said a police officer.

Unfortunately for the police, the evidence they need to corner Vaidya might not be coming soon since their current operation is limited to the arrests of rioters who belong to the local community.

Senior police officers admitted that they were far from identifying the 'many outsiders' whom residents claim played a major role in instigating the riots a day after Diwali.

"The situation is still a little volatile and we must first ensure that local elements, who might create more problems, are pulled out of the equation. We will then go after the so-called outside," said an officer.

"Our priority, at the moment, is to ensure that fresh violence doesn't erupt either on Chhath Pooja on Thursday or on Muharram next week," the officer added.