1 killed, 2 hurt in fresh violence at Shiv Vihar

Shiv Vihar residents recall that the epicentre of violence in the locality was a tri-junction where petrol bombs and stones were hurled during the clashes between the two groups.

Even as violence in other areas in the riot-hit north-east Delhi has started to abate, at least two fresh incidents were reported from Shiv Vihar — one of the worst affected areas.

The residents said even though the violence has been mostly contained, they are living with an uneasy silence all around. (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

Early on Friday morning Ayub Khan, a scrap dealer, died at GTB Hospital after being beaten by a group of people in Shiv Vihar. A homeless man, Khan lived with his son, Salman, in Budh Vihar and worked as a scrap dealer. In another incident, two people were beaten by another group on the area. The victims, Nizamuddin and Riazuddin, were also brought to the GTB hospital with injuries. Their condition was stated to be stable.

Deputy commissioner of police, MS Randhawa said they are verifying the incident.

Salman said,“They beat my father with rods. Some locals spotted him and raised an alarm. He suffered injuries on his head and back. He managed to reach me with the help of locals and I took him to a private hospital. However, he had to be shifted to GTB because I did not have enough money for his treatment.”

Piles of charred vehicles were still lying around in the area even as roads remained littered with shattered glass bottles, bricks and stones till Friday evening.

The residents said even though the violence has been mostly contained, they are living with an uneasy silence all around. “Reports of violence are still coming in. We have not heard of any deaths but mobs are still roaming around the area. They are not armed like they were on Tuesday and Monday, but they are furious. It is also because many people here have survived major losses. Not just lives, but also property and livelihood,” said Deewan Singh, 40, a resident of Shiv Vihar.

Another man, who lives close to a parking lot where more than two dozen vehicles were torched, said on Friday afternoon, a few men thrashed an e-rickshaw driver because he had returned to work. “The man belonged to a different religion and because he was frequenting the locality dominated by people from another community, he was warned. When he did not obey, they thrashed him threatening to kill him if he returned,” said the man, who refused to identify himself.

A senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said Rapid Action Force and Border Security Force personnel along with the Delhi Police personnel were patrolling the area on Friday. “Senior officers also patrolled the area and regular flag marches were also conducted to ensure that the residents do not come out on the streets and indulge in any further clashes,” the officer said.