A large contingent of Delhi Police mobilised on the ground, and detained several people in connection with the incident. (Express)
Five days after two groups clashed in east Delhi’s Trilokpuri, a fresh spate of stone pelting took place on Sunday night after rumours emerged that a woman’s funeral procession had been disrupted. However, unlike the last time, police said the stone pelting was brought under control within 10 minutes. A large contingent of Delhi Police mobilised on the ground, and detained several people in connection with the incident.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern range) Ravindra Yadav, said, “The situation is under control. There was no firing in the area. There was some stone pelting, but not to the extent of the earlier incident. We are still ascertaining the cause, and identifying those inciting and indulging in such activities.”
On February 20, violence had erupted in the area following rumours of a Dalit man being beaten to death. According to police, Sunday’s incident erupted following rumours that a woman’s funeral procession had been disrupted.
“A PCR call was also made, claiming that a funeral procession had been disrupted. But we found the claim to be false,” a police officer said.
Residents told The Indian Express that stone pelting was reported at Block 27 around 8.30 pm. “The people involved in the stone pelting were from Block 26 and 27… There was a rumour that a woman’s funeral had been disrupted,” Mohammad Alam, a resident said.
Hans Raj, a member of the Aman Committee — which was formed after riots erupted in the area in October 2014 — said that some drunk men had been involved in a brawl and that the stone pelting was unnecessarily being given a communal colour.
“The woman’s funeral procession took place more than hundred metres from the incident spot. There were some men who were pelting stones during a drunken brawl. The funeral is not connected to the incident,” he said.
Despite the fact that the DCP, ACP sub-division and SHO of Mayur Vihar police station turned up at the spot, along with two police vans, several residents claimed that there was tension in the locality following the stone pelting.
Several shops were shut to avoid widespread looting, reported in the previous incident, while residents locked themselves inside their homes. “My friends had to take shelter at my house. They did not have time to run to their respective homes. The police came on time… we are fine now,” a resident said.
Police will step up night vigil in the locality, and a heavy contingent will be posted to prevent any untoward incident, the officer said.
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