Two held for Trilokpuri clash, cops say no communal angle

Police said the fight was the result of an old enmity. During the clash, more people from the area joined the two groups giving it a shape of mob violence.

Delhi police have arrested two men for the murder of a 40-year-old during a clash that broke out between two groups in east Delhi’s Trilokpuri on Saturday night.

The clash happened around 10 pm on Saturday. (HT photo)

Police said the fight was the result of an old enmity. During the clash, more people from the area joined the two groups giving it a shape of mob violence. Though Trilokpuri has a history of communal clashes, police said that Saturday incident did not have a communal angle.

Police said one man, Shahid, 40, was killed in the firing, while another named Faizan, sustained bullet injury to his thigh. The clash happened around 10 pm on Saturday.

Deputy commissioner of police (east) Jasmeet Singh said police teams conducted raids overnight and arrested two men for the murder -- Mannan, 35, who was leading one of the groups and his aide Salman, 30.

“Both of them have been arrested and booked for murder and under sections of Arms Act for illegal possession and use of firearms,” Singh said.

The DCP said, while Mannan has 5-6 criminal cases registered against him — such as those of assault and rioting — they are verifying if Salman has a criminal record.

According to the police, after recording statements of the witnesses and local residents, it has been established that the violence on Saturday had been triggered by an old enmity. A senior police officer said, “Mannan and his family members run a meat shop near Trilokpuri bus stand. Mannan’s elder brother Asif and Shahid are neighbours and have fought previously also, over petty issues. On Saturday, following some argument, Shahid and his friends thrashed one of Mannan’s aide, identified as Kasim. When Kasim complained to Mannan, he called Shahid. Shahid and his men allegedly then vandalized Mannan’s motorcycle, after which more people joined the two men and the fight snowballed into mob violence,” the officer said.

Police said Mannan’s brother Asif is absconding and search for him is underway.

DCP Singh said the violence was not communal in nature. “No such incident was reported from the area on Sunday. Adequate staff from our area police station is deployed in the vicinity to maintain law and order,” he said.