Prawesh Lama
Prawesh Lama covers crime, policing, and issues of security in Delhi. Raised in Darjeeling, educated in Mumbai, he also looks at special features on social welfare in the National Capital.
Articles by Prawesh Lama
Curtailed by pandemic, the Republic Day parade is different this year
By Prawesh Lama
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 07:50 AM IST
One prominent event that drew crowds and cheers – stunts on motorcycles by the army and the personnel of the paramilitary forces – have been cancelled this year.
Curtailed by pandemic, the Republic Day parade is different this year
By Prawesh Lama, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 21, 2021 11:45 PM IST
Many events that were a regular feature of the Republic Day Celebrations in the national capital will be missing this year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the social distancing measures put in place to contain its spread, said government officials
One-third of Delhi Police force aged above 50, will be shots first
By Prawesh Lama, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 20, 2021 02:59 AM IST
In the second phase, the drive will be held for the front-line workers such as police, fire safety personnel, teachers and civil defence volunteers. The drive will be expanded to an additional 600 locations across the city in the coming weeks.
20k Covaxin doses land in city; final prep underway for V-Day
By Prawesh Lama, Anvit Srivastava
PUBLISHED ON JAN 14, 2021 04:27 AM IST
This comes a day after 264,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, reached the Capital. The first doses will be administered on Saturday.
Claps, cheers greet arrival of vaccine at Rajiv Gandhi super speciality hospital
By Prawesh Lama
UPDATED ON JAN 13, 2021 04:27 AM IST
Several people who had gathered near the hospital gate said they knew by the heavy police deployment that the “corona vaccine is coming”.
Teachers on Covid duty will be frontline workers for vaccine drive: Sisodia
PUBLISHED ON JAN 09, 2021 09:38 AM IST
Teachers in schools run by the Delhi government and the municipal corporations — who have been actively involved in Covid-19 duty — will also be included in the list of front line workers to be vaccinated in the first phase, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Friday.
Teachers to be included as front line workers for vaccination
UPDATED ON JAN 09, 2021 03:36 AM IST
The DDMA is chaired by lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal and has chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as its vice-chairperson.
Illegal tree felling in Gandhi memorial, police register FIR
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 04, 2021 02:47 AM IST
The police collected evidence, took photographs and submitted a report to the Public Works Department. Police have also registered a first information report (FIR) under sections of Delhi Tree Conservation Act against unknown persons at the IP Estate police station.
Paramilitary, armed Delhi Police men to guard all vaccine storage sites in Delhi
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 04, 2021 12:40 AM IST
Outlining the Capital’s plan for the first phase of the vaccine roll-out, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said last week that the government had identified 5.1 million people who will be the first to get Covid-19 shots under the Central government’s “priority category”
Delhi govt rejects compensation claims of 12 cops who died on Covid duty
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 26, 2020 01:06 AM IST
Since the first case of the disease was reported in the national capital on March 2, 31 police personnel have died of the infection, according to police and state government records seen by HT.
Delhi riots: Govt sanctions sedition charges against Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, others
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 17, 2020 08:35 AM IST
At least 53 persons died while 400 others were injured when clashes turned violent leading to full-blown Hindu-Muslim riots across parts of northeast Delhi.
An uneasy calm in Shaheen Bagh, one year after protest
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 17, 2020 05:57 AM IST
This year, as another protest -- this time over three farm laws that aim to liberalise the farm economy -- continues to rage with thousands of farmers on a similar sit-in protest at several of the Capital’s entry points, police are ensuring that nobody starts a protest within the city -- including in Shaheen Bagh’s Road 13A.
Delhi: A year on, no police officer found guilty for clashes at Jamia
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 15, 2020 06:09 AM IST
On the evening of December 15, 2019, Delhi Police entered the university campus, fired tear gas shells and baton-charged students and some locals inside after violence broke out near the university.
Delhi: West, north districts with crowded markets saw most mask-rule violation in festive season
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON NOV 25, 2020 07:20 AM IST
In light of the data review, Delhi Police officers said the two districts have a larger number of much-favoured markets, such as Sadar Bazaar and Kamla Nagar, and these marketplaces had seen huge crowds since Dussehra till Diwali.
Seven inmates at Mandoli women’s prison test positive for Covid-19
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON NOV 20, 2020 06:46 AM IST
While six of them have been discharged and are currently in isolation at the prison, the seventh person is still undergoing treatment. Prison officers said none of the seven was a new entrant and they suspect that the infection may have spread from an asymptomatic jail officer.
25% traffic violations causing congestion and pollution in Delhi’s bad air hot spots
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON NOV 17, 2020 01:12 AM IST
The Delhi traffic police said the number of violations such as improper parking or encroachments on the roads was comparatively higher at these 13 places because of strict enforcement to detect rule-breakers, keeping in mind the high levels of air pollution at this time every year.
South, west districts worst mask offenders in Delhi
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 31, 2020 07:01 AM IST
Earlier this month, a report prepared by the National Control for Disease Control (NCDC) had cautioned that the Capital needs to gear up to tackle a surge of up to 15,000 coronavirus cases per day during winter and in the festival season.
Cops convicted for 1997 CP encounter released
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 26, 2020 03:21 AM IST
On March 31, 1997, the ten policemen were part of a Crime Branch squad that opened fire on a blue sedan at the Barakhamba intersection, killing two of the three occupants -- Jagjit Singh and Pradeep Goyal. The target of the operation was a gangster named Mohammed Yasneen, who was also meant to be in a blue sedan.
Drugs smuggled in over boundary wall, sold in Tihar jail
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 23, 2020 01:48 AM IST
The racket was exposed after a probe was ordered into the death of Sikander Dogra who, according to a prison officer aware of the inquiry report, complained about drug smuggling inside jail No 1. Two days later, on September 24, he was stabbed to death by four prisoners.
‘Digital’ the buzzword for police in Covid-19 era
By Manoj Sharma and Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 19, 2020 02:41 AM IST
What started with Zoom calls for law-and-order meetings and WhatsApp for sending notices and summons to minimize touch and physical contact, has had a transformative effect on the Capital’s police, with many of its legacy processes and procedures going online.
700,000 seized liquor bottles, 29,000 kg drugs lying at Delhi police stations
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 16, 2020 05:40 AM IST
According to a document seen by HT, there are at least 700,000 liquor bottles and around 29,000 kilograms of different varieties of drugs at the lockers of around 168 police stations. The market value of the drugs, going by their selling price in the international markets, could be well over thousands of crores.
Delhi police to keep watch on social distancing, masks in popular markets during festive season
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 14, 2020 01:31 AM IST
Loudspeakers at the markets, presently used to make security-related announcements and caution people about unidentified objects, will be used to disseminate information about masks.
Ashram crossing descends into chaos; commuters, residents suffer
By Sweta Goswami and Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 07, 2020 04:29 AM IST
The problem is acute along Mathura Road, where authorities are now creating an underpass beneath the intersection with Ring Road.
Police, in PPE, chasing Covid positive robber on loose
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 02, 2020 01:03 AM IST
A Delhi Police team from the central district is now chasing the man, whom they want to capture before he spreads the infection.
In-person visits at Delhi’s prisons to restart on Oct 1
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 01, 2020 02:56 AM IST
Several prisoners have written to jail officers over the last two months, asking not only to meet their families but requesting that visitors be allowed to bring a fresh set of clothes.
Violence began with stone-pelting at Maujpur Metro station: Riots charge sheet
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON SEP 24, 2020 12:34 AM IST
It was the first of the 16,381 distress calls that the police control room (PCR) received between February 23 and 27, according to the charge sheet filed by the special cell of Delhi Police last week.
Alpha, Beta, Bond key to police’s riots probe
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON SEP 23, 2020 12:22 AM IST
The witnesses have recorded their statements before a judge under Code of Criminal Procedure 164, which is admissible evidence during a trial.
Delhi riots: Police unprepared, failed to anticipate scale in numbers, shows data
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON SEP 22, 2020 02:44 PM IST
Police have been criticised for not anticipating the scale of the riots despite multiple intelligence warnings of a major communal flare-up
Delhi riots: ‘Insider’ witness saw protesters being incited, say police
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON SEP 18, 2020 02:32 AM IST
Officials familiar with the charge sheet and the investigation that went into filing it said the insider’s statement was crucial evidence and shows that some anti-CAA protesters such as Tanha and Khalid planned the riots by blocking roads.
Delhi Police’s Umar Khalid investigation hinges on witnesses X and Y
By Prawesh Lama | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON SEP 17, 2020 05:36 AM IST
X and Y, now in protective custody, made statements before metropolitan magistrate Fahad Uddin last month, claiming they were part of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, alongside Pinjra Tod (Break the Cage, a collective of women students) members and Jawaharlal Nehru University students Narwal and Kalita.