Grab from a video that shows police being attacked by a mob near Chand Bagh

Under fire after allegations of inaction, as well as videos of personnel pelting stones during the Northeast Delhi riots came to light, Delhi Police officers went door to door in the district to gather videos that might show how they were attacked by a mob on February 24.

Sources said senior police officers tasked local personnel to visit residents and collect footage of the attack during which Head Constable Ratan Lal was shot at, and DCP (Shahdara) Amit Sharma and ACP Anuj Kumar were attacked, along with over 60 other policemen.

Lal succumbed to injuries at GTB Hospital later.

#JUSTIN:. @DelhiPolice has found one new video – recorded at North-East Delhi’s Chand Bagh area where DCP Amit Sharma was attacked and HC Ratan Lal was shot dead. @IndianExpress, @ieDelhi pic.twitter.com/HDd86QD1Je

— Mahender Singh (@mahendermanral) March 4, 2020

The five videos, which police say were recorded at 12.40 pm on February 24, show personnel being attacked near Chand Bagh. The mob can be seen surrounding police and pinning them against the fence that divides the two carriageways. Police were equipped with anti-riot gear but were outnumbered. Men and women near the protest site are seen charging at police with sticks and stones. Sources said police had gone to Chand Bagh to shift protesters, who had blocked the road, to the side.

In a different video, police personnel can be seen carrying the injured DCP to a lane nearby, from where he was taken to a nursing home for initial treatment.

ACP Anuj Kumar, posted at Gokalpur police station, said, “They had stones, construction material and firearms, which they used. We only tried to control the situation with lathis. The distance between the protesters and the police team wasn’t much. Once they started attacking us, it was difficult to retreat because of the fence. Over 65-70 policemen struggled to cross the fence and were injured. The rioters had surrounded DCP Sharma. A few of them used lathis while others had sharp tools and stabbed him. I acted quickly and pulled him from the spot. While I was trying to take him back, people were pelting stones and hit me with sticks. One such blow broke my helmet and I started to bleed.”

Both officers have been on medical leave since then. Police said they didn’t fire at the protesters as they wanted to control the crowd using minimal force.

Police said Head Constable Lal, who sustained a gunshot injury, was also picked up by his colleagues who took him to a police van.