Police baton charge protesters during sealing drive at Lajpat Nagar

Four policemen and two traders were injured after the cops baton charged businessmen protesting against the sealing drive by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation in Lajpat Nagar on Thursday.

Some traders also engaged in a scuffle with the policemen who accompanied the civic body officials, calling the sealing action biased.

“Around 150 people tried to block the traffic on Ring Road. When the police tried to remove them, they pelted stones,” said DCP (south-east) Chinmoy Biswal.

Police personnel had to lathicharge to disperse the agitators. Those injured were admitted to a government hospital. “We are waiting for the medical examination reports of injured persons. Further action will be taken accordingly,” said Biswal.

Shopkeepers at Amar Colony kept their stock outside before their shops were sealed by the MCD officials. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Two photojournalists working for separate Hindi newspapers were misbehaved and manhandled allegedly by police personnel while they were taking photos of the alleged assault on protesters by the police during the sealing drive.

The photo journalists alleged that policemen snatched their cameras and deleted some photographs after they clicked photos of additional deputy commissioner of police (southeast) slapping a trader during the protest. The two were later taken to the Amar Colony police station and kept there for almost an hour.

DCP Biswal said he reached the police station and resolved the matter soon after it was brought to his notice.

An SDMC officials said they did not have protection from paramilitary personnel. “The sealing drive had to be halted for some time due to the agitation but it was continued later. The arrangements for paramilitary force could not be made on Thursday .We will continue the drive on Friday only if adequate force is provided,” said an SDMC official.

As man yas 350 shops were sealed in Old Double Storey, Lajpat Nagar- IV, for misuse and encroachment. The action was taken on the direction of Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.

Besides, 33 properties were sealed for misuse and unauthorised construction in Greater Kailash Enclave II, Rajouri Garden, Janakpuri, Virendra Nagar and Hari Nagar areas.

The traders blamed the civic agency for the confusion. “We have paid conversion as well as parking charges. The road on which shops are located is notified for mixed land use in the Master Plan 2021. But today, our shops were closed for not having approved building plans. This is not our fault. Why MCD official did not tell us to get building plan sanctioned,” said Manjeet Singh Kohli, a trader whose shop was sealed on Thursday.

Traders call a bandh on March 13

The Confederation of All India Traders, an umbrella body with 2,200 market association as its members, has called a day-long Delhi Trade Bandh on March 13 against sealing.

“Due to ongoing sealing of commercial establishments in Delhi, traders are highly perturbed. All markets in Delhi will remain closed and no business activity will take place on the day,” said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of CAIT.