200 homeless shifted to Haj Manzil after porta cabins at Kashmere Gate were set afire

As many as 150-200 homeless people, who lost their makeshift homes after two porta cabin shelters at Kashmere Gate were destroyed in a fire on Saturday, were on

As many as 150-200 homeless people, who lost their makeshift homes after two porta cabin shelters at Kashmere Gate were destroyed in a fire on Saturday, were on Sunday evening shifted to Haj Manzil, a two-storey building near Ramlila Maidan.

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The two shelter homes were set afire on Saturday allegedly by an agitated group of homeless people, a day after they clashed with civil defence volunteers and pelted them with stones. As a result of the clash, the police on Friday evening had resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd, during which three men jumped into the Yamuna to evade the police. While two of them were rescued, the body of the third man was recovered from the river on Saturday.

While no casualty was reported due to the fire, a case of rioting and arson was registered and seven men arrested on Saturday.

Bipin Rai, member, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), said that 150-200 people who were living in these shelter homes were shifted to Haj Manzil. “The building has a capacity to house at least 1,000 people and therefore, we are planning to shift in the homeless from some other areas also. Their food and other requirements will be taken care of by the state administration and police,” Rai said.

The deputy commissioner of police (North), Monika Bhardwaj, said her teams assisted DUSIB to relocate them. “We are providing them with any assistance required. Seven men were arrested on Saturday and our investigation is ongoing,” she said.