Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes highlights: Victim's father demands CBI probe; cops say neighbours had long-running disputes

- A 26-year-old man Tarun Kumar was killed in clashes that erupted on Holi in Delhi's Uttam Nagar area.

- Kumar was killed in clashes that erupted after a child, playing with water balloons, reportedly splashed one on a Muslim woman passing through the locality who objected to it.

- The argument soon turned violent, leading to several people getting injured. Kumar succumbed to his injuries the next morning on Thursday.

- To demand justice for his son, Kumar's father and other people staged a sit-in protest at the police station but alleged that cops resorted to lathi charge.

- Kumar's father has called for a CBI inquiry into his son's death and said that he is not satisfied with the police action.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Following his death on Thursday morning, a day after the violent altercation, Tarun's family alleged he was “waylaid” by the neighbours and assaulted with bats, sticks, and stones.

Tarun's family also said that they had apologised after the 11-year-old girl's balloon burst on the ground and water splashed the woman's burqa. “I apologised and even made the 11-year-old apologise. What else could we have done?," said Ramesh, Tarun's uncle.

According to the relative, Tarun came home half an hour after the argument and was “attacked” even before he could park his bike. Apart from Tarun, Ramesh and the victim's grandfather Mann Singh was also injured. Read more.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: According to Memraj, the victim's father, the woman on whom the water balloon splashed gathered her relatives, who allegedly came armed with sticks and attacked the family members.

"They first attacked us, and we rushed to our homes. They then locked our gates from the outside. They were around 10 to 12 people.

"My brother was injured, got stitches in his head, and his hands are broken. I also have injuries in my eyes, and my wife was beaten up too," he said. (PTI)

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Arun Kumar, elder brother of Tarun who died in Uttam Nagar clashes, told news agency ANI, “A balloon fell from a child's hand. It landed on a woman. She started this entire clash... These people want only their community to live here and no one else... They wanted to fight…”

“There were at least 20-25 people (involved in the clash)... There should be rules like the Yogi government here,” he added.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Both families involved in the dispute hailed from Rajasthan. According to one of Tarun Kumar's family members, they have known each other since the late 1960s, when they lived in slums near Uttam Nagar before later moving to Hastsal Colony.

However, a senior police officer told HT on condition of anonymity that the families have always had fights and brawls over petty matters. “It’s not entirely a communal issue. The families have always fought over garbage, water, parking and other petty issues. They also get into physical fights and then sort out the issues later. We are still investigating from all angles,” the officer said.

Tarun's relative Ramesh also alleged previous confrontations with the same family. “This is not the first time, they attacked us during Holi around 12 years back.”

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Maan Singh, the victim's grand-uncle, said “Tarun was my nephew's son. We are a simple family. We only want justice. None of us in our family are violent. If we would have been like that, why would our own child die?”.

Speaking about their meeting with an MP and a minister, Singh said the family demanded strict action against the accused. (PTI)

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad staged a protest under the Uttam Nagar East metro station, blocking the main road and bringing traffic to a standstill, as they demanded strict action against those involved in the killing, reported news agency PTI citing police sources.

Police sources said mild force was used to disperse the protesters after repeated appeals failed to convince them to vacate the road. (PTI)

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Additional DCP Dwarka District Niharika Bhatt, while talking about the clashes in Uttam Nagar and how the police responded, told news agency ANI, "The FIR was registered on the first night itself, and 5 people, including a juvenile, were arrested. We are looking after the law and order and we have arrested 2 more people now, bringing the total number to 7... Delhi police is heavily deployed from senior to junior officers..."

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Tarun Kumar's uncle Ramesh said that he demands “bulldozer justice” – an apparent reference to the controversial, extra-legal practice using bulldozers to demolish structure of individuals accused of crimes, reported Hindustan Times earlier.

Describing what had happened, Ramesh said the 11-year-old girl threw balloons at family members, but one burst on the ground, splashing a woman’s burqa. “I apologised and even made the 11-year-old apologise. What else could we have done? They first beat us. I suffered heavy injuries on my head, chest and hands. Doctors put eight stitches and I am still in pain. Tarun came half an hour later… Before he could park his bike, they jumped at him and attacked him.”

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: A 26-year-old man who died following a clash during Holi celebrations in southwest Delhi's Uttam Nagar had been pursuing a digital marketing course and hoped to support his family, his relatives said on Saturday, while demanding strict action against the accused.

The deceased, identified as Tarun, died after sustaining severe injuries in the clash that was allegedly triggered by a dispute between two families from different communities over a balloon, in the JJ Colony area on Wednesday, according to police. (PTI)

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: On the killing of a 26-year-old man in Delhi's Uttam Nagar on Holi, BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat says, "It is very shameful, when a kid hits someone by mistake and such an incident was carried out... We are consoling the family and the accused will not be spared at any cost..."

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: According to DCP Dwarka Kushal Pal Singh, both the families involved in the clashes in Delhi's Uttam Nagar originally hail from Rajasthan and have been residing in the locality for around five decades now.

"On the night of 4th March we received a PCR call, wherein the caller said that their neighbour has broken his uncle's head. Police reached there immediately...It was found that two parties, belonging to two different communities, had a fight over the throwing of a balloon. The injured were rushed to the hospital; three from one side and five from the other side were injured. It was also found that both sides had been residing there for 50-55 years now and originally belonged to Rajasthan. We registered a case and arrested four adults and apprehended one juvenile. One of the injured, Tarun Kumar died during treatment. So, we added Sec 302 to the FIR and added murder charges..." Singh told news agency ANI on Thursday.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Victim's father Memraj said that even though the police have said that they have made arrests in the case, they have not been shown anything. “I appeal to PM Narendra Modi and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta for strict action against those responsible,” Memraj said, adding that they want a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: On Friday, the victim's father Memraj, along with few other people, went to the Uttam Nagar police station to demonstrate a sit-in protest demanding action into his son's death, however, he alleged that the police resorted to “lathi charge” on them.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: 26-year-old man who died following a clash during Holi celebrations in southwest Delhi's Uttam Nagar had been pursuing a digital marketing course and hoped to support his family, his relatives said on Saturday, while demanding strict action against the accused.

The deceased, identified as Tarun, died after sustaining severe injuries in the clash that was allegedly triggered by a dispute between two families from different communities over a balloon, in the JJ Colony area on Wednesday, according to police. (PTI)

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Dwarka district, Kushal Pal Singh, said that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure peace in Delhi's Uttam Nagar following Holi clashes and subsequent protests in the area.

"In view of the incident that happened on 4th March, we have made adequate security arrangements. We have divided the area into zones, sectors and sub-sectors. Our motorcycles and vehicles are continuously patrolling," the DCP said, reported news agency ANI.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Amid the ongoing tensions over clashes that erupted on Holi, Dwarka district Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kushal Pal Singh said that he called on members of both the communities to maintain peace and order in the area.

"We have also called people of both communities and appealed to them to maintain peace and order in the area. Apart from this, we also appeal to the people not to pay attention to rumours and not to support those who create trouble," Singh said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Security was heightened in Delhi's Uttam Nagar area following clashes on Holi. Delhi police along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in the locality to maintain law and order, show visuals from the spot.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Memraj, father of Tarun Kumar who was killed in clashes erupted on Holi in Delhi's Uttam Nagar area, said that they are “poor people” and that his son was their “only support”.

He also said that even though police have said that arrests have been made, the victim's family has not been shown anything.

“He was our only support and was studying digital marketing. We are poor people. The police say some arrests have been made, but we have not been shown anything. I appeal to PM Modi and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta for strict action against those responsible,” Memraj said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: The father of victim Tarun Kumar alleged on Saturday that the police have not conducted any inquiry and demanded a CBI probe into the killing of his son.

"Father of the deceased Tarun says, “We demand that our son should get justice... The police have not conducted any inquiry or asked us about him... They are saying that they have arrested 5-6 people... They did not show us who they have arrested. We want a CBI inquiry... We even went to the police station yesterday, but they closed the doors. When we went to the streets to hold a protest, they resorted to lathicharge... As soon as my son came, 15-20 people attacked him and killed him on the spot... All of them were roaming here, but the police did not arrest anyone...” he told news agency ANI.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Visuals from Delhi's Uttam Nagar locality show vehicles, including a car and a bike, set on fire on Friday as a massive protest by Hindu political outfits blocked traffic for several hours, reported news agency PTI.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: According to the victim's uncle Tek Chand, Tarun was attacked even though he was not present when the fight broke out between the two families and had not idea about it.

“My nephew had no idea about the fight. But he was still attacked. They thrashed him brutally and even threw a big stone on his chest when he was lying injured on the road,” Chand alleged, reported Hindustan Times earlier.

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: According the victim Tarun Kumar's uncle Tek Chand, the former was not present when a fight broke out between the two families and had no knowledge about the altercation when he came back home on his motorcycle after celebrating Holi with friends. However, Chand alleged, that Kumar was waylaid in the lane and assaulted by eight to ten people with rods, sticks, and stones.