News / Author / Prawesh Lama

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

Tractor rally chaos: FIRs filed under attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy

Delhi Police officers said the FIRs have the names of many farmer leaders who have been caught on tape instigating people to break barricades and force their way into the national Capital

Farmers vandalise a police vehicle following clashes with Delhi Police during the tractor march, at Nangloi Crossing, in New Delhi on January 26. (Raj K Raj/HT photo)

cities

Updated on Jan 27, 2021 04:10 PM IST

ByPrawesh Lama

Violence at farmers' tractor rally: What went wrong in the police plan?

Police officers estimate that the city was overrun by around 200,000-250,000 protesters.

Farmers shower flower petals on fellow protesters at Singhu border. (PTI)

cities

Published on Jan 27, 2021 04:54 AM IST

ByPrawesh Lama, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Curtailed by pandemic, the Republic Day parade is different this year

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.

Government officials, who did not wish to be named, said these events were cancelled because the elderly and children are more susceptible to contract Covid-19.(PTI)

india news

Published on Jan 22, 2021 07:50 AM IST

ByPrawesh Lama

Curtailed by pandemic, the Republic Day parade is different this year

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

cities

Published on Jan 21, 2021 11:45 PM IST

ByPrawesh Lama, New Delhi

One-third of Delhi Police force aged above 50, will be shots first

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.

While all personnel will be covered under the second phase, those above the age of 50 years will be the first ones to get vaccinated, followed by others.(PTI)

cities

Updated on Jan 20, 2021 02:59 AM IST

ByPrawesh Lama, New Delhi

20k Covaxin doses land in city; final prep underway for V-Day

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.

Officials aware of the development said the boxes were shifted to a temperature-controlled facility in cargo terminals and were then shipped out. (Representative Image)

cities

Published on Jan 14, 2021 04:27 AM IST

ByPrawesh Lama, Anvit Srivastava

Claps, cheers greet arrival of vaccine at Rajiv Gandhi super speciality hospital

Several people who had gathered near the hospital gate said they knew by the heavy police deployment that the “corona vaccine is coming”.

Several hospital staff also clicked selfies when the vaccine was taken from the truck to the storage facility.

cities

Updated on Jan 13, 2021 04:27 AM IST

ByPrawesh Lama

Teachers on Covid duty will be frontline workers for vaccine drive: Sisodia

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.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia addresses during the distribution of mid-day meal dry kit at a government school in New Delhi.(ANI file photo)

india news

Published on Jan 09, 2021 09:38 AM IST

ByPrawesh Lama, Sweta Goswami

Teachers to be included as front line workers for vaccination

The DDMA is chaired by lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal and has chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as its vice-chairperson.

Earlier the government’s list of front line workers for vaccination only included police personnel, sanitation workers and civil defence volunteers.(Harsimar Pal Singh/HT)

cities

Updated on Jan 09, 2021 03:36 AM IST

ByPrawesh Lama, Sweta Goswami, New Delhi

Illegal tree felling in Gandhi memorial, police register FIR

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.

The Gandhi Smarak Nidhi trust said there was a miscommunication because of which the trees were chopped.(Representational)

cities

Published on Jan 04, 2021 02:47 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Paramilitary, armed Delhi Police men to guard all vaccine storage sites in Delhi

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”

A health worker holds a syringe during a mock drill and dry run of Covid-19 vaccination at a model Covid-19 vaccination centre in Ansari Road, New Delhi, India.(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Jan 04, 2021 12:40 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Delhi govt rejects compensation claims of 12 cops who died on Covid duty

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.

A police official checks the passengers waiting in line to give samples for coronavirus rapid antigen test after arriving at Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, in New Delhi.(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Dec 26, 2020 01:06 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Delhi riots: Govt sanctions sedition charges against Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, others

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.

Activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid along with students and supporters protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on January 20, 2020.(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Dec 17, 2020 08:35 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

An uneasy calm in Shaheen Bagh, one year after protest

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.

BSF personnel patrol Shaheen Bagh on Wednesday, a year after the anti-CAA protests began(Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on Dec 17, 2020 05:57 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Delhi: A year on, no police officer found guilty for clashes at Jamia

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.

Damaged vehicles strewn near Jamia Millia Islamia University area following violence that erupted against Citizenship Amendment Act, in New Delhi on Dec. 15, 2019.(PTI)

cities

Updated on Dec 15, 2020 06:09 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama, New Delhi

Delhi: West, north districts with crowded markets saw most mask-rule violation in festive season

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.

Overall, until November 24, police had fined 506, 272 persons across Delhi for not wearing masks(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Nov 25, 2020 07:20 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama, New Delhi

Seven inmates at Mandoli women’s prison test positive for Covid-19

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.

Since the lockdown in March, the bi-weekly meetings between prisoners and their relatives were also cancelled and they resumed only on October 1.(File Photo. Representative image)

cities

Updated on Nov 20, 2020 06:46 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

25% traffic violations causing congestion and pollution in Delhi’s bad air hot spots

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.

Between November 5 and November 10, when Delhi recorded the longest spell of ‘severe’ air days this year, the AQI in at least 10 hot spots touched 500, the maximum value that can be recorded on the AQI scale.(Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Nov 17, 2020 01:12 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

South, west districts worst mask offenders in Delhi

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.

Crowded marketplaces Lajpat Nagar earlier this week.(Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Oct 31, 2020 07:01 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Cops convicted for 1997 CP encounter released

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.

Two people were killed in the March 31, 1997 incident.

cities

Updated on Oct 26, 2020 03:21 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Drugs smuggled in over boundary wall, sold in Tihar jail

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.

In the videos, the prisoners alleged that some jail officers were also involved in Dogra’s murder.

india news

Updated on Oct 23, 2020 01:48 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama, New Delhi

‘Digital’ the buzzword for police in Covid-19 era

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.

According to the latest National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB) report, overall crime in Delhi went up by 20 percent in 2019, compared to the previous year, including crimes against women.(HT file photo)

cities

Updated on Oct 19, 2020 02:41 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByManoj Sharma and Prawesh Lama

700,000 seized liquor bottles, 29,000 kg drugs lying at Delhi police stations

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.

According to a mid-level Delhi police officer, during the exercise, police noticed that every station had a large seizure of alcohol bottles and drugs.(Santosh Kumar/HT file photo. Representative image)

cities

Updated on Oct 16, 2020 05:40 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Delhi police to keep watch on social distancing, masks in popular markets during festive season

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.

A rush of people during the weekend at Sarojini Nagar Market in New Delhi.(Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Oct 14, 2020 01:31 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Ashram crossing descends into chaos; commuters, residents suffer

The problem is acute along Mathura Road, where authorities are now creating an underpass beneath the intersection with Ring Road.

A traffic bottleneck at the intersection,(Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on Oct 07, 2020 04:29 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | BySweta Goswami and Prawesh Lama

Police, in PPE, chasing Covid positive robber on loose

A Delhi Police team from the central district is now chasing the man, whom they want to capture before he spreads the infection.

In this picture, a health worker in PPE coveralls during swab sample collection for coronavirus testing, at Khyala Police Station, in New Delhi.(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO/For Representative Purposes Only)

cities

Updated on Oct 02, 2020 01:03 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

In-person visits at Delhi’s prisons to restart on Oct 1

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.

Starting October 1, one member of every prisoner’s family will be allowed inside the jail each month.(Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times)

cities

Updated on Oct 01, 2020 02:56 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Violence began with stone-pelting at Maujpur Metro station: Riots charge sheet

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.

The riots, which started as protestors against and for the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) and later acquired a communal colour, left 53 people dead and 607 injured.(AFP)

cities

Updated on Sep 24, 2020 12:34 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Alpha, Beta, Bond key to police’s riots probe

The witnesses have recorded their statements before a judge under Code of Criminal Procedure 164, which is admissible evidence during a trial.

Delhi Police have maintained that some anti-CAA protest leaders, such as Umar Khalid, along with others such as Hussain, Jahan and other activists, planned the protests, mobilised people by blocking roads, and brought different groups together to incite people against the government.(AFP)

india news

Updated on Sep 23, 2020 12:22 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama, New Delhi

Delhi riots: Police unprepared, failed to anticipate scale in numbers, shows data

Police have been criticised for not anticipating the scale of the riots despite multiple intelligence warnings of a major communal flare-up

The charge sheet says at least 1,130 commercial and residential properties were damaged in the revenue department’s sub-divisional areas of Karawal Nagar and Yamuna Vihar. The police said they are awaiting the survey report from other subdivisions such as Seelampur and Shahdara.(AFP File)

cities

Published on Sep 22, 2020 02:44 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByPrawesh Lama

Copy

Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin

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.

Delhi Police officers said the FIRs have the names of many farmer leaders who have been caught on tape instigating people to break barricades and force their way into the national Capital

Police officers estimate that the city was overrun by around 200,000-250,000 protesters.

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.

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

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.

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.

Several people who had gathered near the hospital gate said they knew by the heavy police deployment that the “corona vaccine is coming”.

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.

The DDMA is chaired by lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal and has chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as its vice-chairperson.

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.

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”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The problem is acute along Mathura Road, where authorities are now creating an underpass beneath the intersection with Ring Road.

A Delhi Police team from the central district is now chasing the man, whom they want to capture before he spreads the infection.

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.

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.

The witnesses have recorded their statements before a judge under Code of Criminal Procedure 164, which is admissible evidence during a trial.

Police have been criticised for not anticipating the scale of the riots despite multiple intelligence warnings of a major communal flare-up

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like