E-Paper
Most of violence-hit in Delhi's Jahangirpuri stays indoors as cops keep watch
Delhi Police commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Monday said that 23 people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident, and those involved in the clashes will not be spared.
The Delhi Police on Monday arrested two people who were allegedly involved in the Saturday evening’s violence at north west Delhi’s Jahangirpuri even as tension prevailed in the area with the police cordoning off the entire area around the mosque where two groups clashed, and the police officers facing minor resistance while arresting a suspect.
A few shops opened on Monday with nearly 500 police personnel and six companies of additional force being deployed in the area. The main road in the Muslim-dominated C-Block, where the clash took place during a Hanuman Jayanti procession, was completely cordoned, and police personnel were deployed separately in the narrow streets.
Delhi Police commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Monday said that 23 people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident, and those involved in the clashes will not be spared. He, however, rejected suggestions that the participants in the religious procession tried to hoise saffron flags at the local mosque. Two minors were also detained for their involvement.
The police officers who went to arrest Yunus alias Sonu, the man who allegedly was seen firing at the procession in a video of the incident shared on the social media, faced minor resistance with some people throwing stones at them in Jahangirpuri’s CD Park area Monday morning. A 22-year-old woman identified as Salma has been bound down for allegedly throwing a stone at the police officers. Being bound down means a person has to appear before the police whenever asked during the course of investigation in a case.
The police also arrested Sheikh Hameed, 36, a resident of CD Park locality, and said he is a scrap dealer who allegedly supplied glass bottles thrown at the procession.
His sister Shahana claimed that Hameed was in Samaypur Badli when the clashes took place. “He had gone to Badli to pick scrap on Saturday and returned only after the clashes were over. On Monday, he was asked by the man who we sell our scrap to pick up stuff from C-Block. Police picked him up from there,” she said.
A senior police officer said that arrests are being made after “due and proper investigation”.
Shopkeepers said the violence and heavy deployment of police has impacted business. Vijay , who runs a hardware and sanitaryware shop, said, “We didn’t open the shop on Sunday. We opened only today but there are no customers. No one is coming here because they are scared, and the roads are shut too,” he said.
Five of the six Hindus arrested on Sunday for their alleged role in the clash belong to the same village in West Bengal, and are neighbours. Police identified them as Sujeet Jaldar, Sukhen Sarkar, his brother Suresh Sarkar and his sons Neeraj and Suraj. Sujeet and the two brothers live in G-block.
A BJP poster was pasted at the door of Sukhen’s residence in the lanes of G-Block. “He helps everyone here, and is politically active too,” Meenu, Sujeet’s wife, said.
Meenu recalled that police officials in civil dress came on Sunday and asked who carried out the procession. “Sukhen and Suresh said they did, and my husband Sujeet said he was pushing the cart with the Hanuman idol on it. The officials said they’ll take them for questioning and release them, but they did not return,” she said.
Around 8pm, a journalist told Meenu about the arrests, she said. “I respect the police doing their job but they should have at least informed us about the arrest.”
According to Meenu, people from the area left for the procession around 1:30pm, and planned to return with the idol to install the it in the area. “They were only carrying flags and nothing else,” she said referring to allegations that those in the procession carried swords and other weapons.
She also said there was nothing wrong in the route taken by the procession. “No one can dictate to us which route to take. If my husband and brothers fought when they were being asked to take another route, I believe they did the right thing. Freedom fighters such as Shaheed Bhagat Singh died for the country. They have only gone to jail,” she said, calling Suresh and Sukhen “protectors” of the area.
