Police at the spot where communal violence took place between two communities at Jahangirpuri in New Delhi on Saturday. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna) Hours after communal clashes broke out in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri following a shobha yatra organised to mark Hanuman Jayanti Saturday, the Delhi Police arrested fourteen people on charges of rioting and attempt to murder among others, officials said Sunday.
Special commissioner of police (law and order of northern zone) Dependra Pathak said the situation in the area is under control and confirmed the arrests.
The police have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 323 (causing hurt), 436 (mischief by fire), 34 (common intention) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 27 of the Arms Act at Jahangirpuri police station.
A senior police officer said nine people, including eight police personnel and a local resident, were injured and they all are recuperating at the Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital. “One sub-inspector sustained bullet injury and his condition is stable,” added the officer.
According to officers, stones were thrown in the area on Saturday evening, and the situation remained tense until late at night. On Sunday, a flag march by senior officers along with the security personnel of paramilitary was conducted in the area, following which normalcy was restored, police said.
This is the first major communal flare-up in the national capital since the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and many more injured.
Sources said that following clashes in other parts of the country, the deputy commissioners of police had already been informed by senior officials and the special branch of the Delhi Police was asked to be on alert. “They were asked to make adequate arrangements during such processions,” said an officer.
An officer said the shobha yatra had police permission and there was a deployment of around 50 policemen in Jahangirpuri along with PCRs, MVPs, and drones.
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