A week after deadly communal violence erupted in northeast Delhi, the situation in riots-hit areas remained peaceful but tense on Sunday, though there was movement of more people and vehicles on main roads amid a heavy police deployment.
Three more bodies were traced from a canal on the sixth day of the violence, taking the total death toll to 45. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has deputed a fact-finding team to investigate the cases of violence. The police said, 254 FIRs including 41 cases Arms Act have been registered and 903 persons are either arrested or detained.
“The situation is under control and we did not receive any PCR calls of rioting in the last four days. There is adequate force deployed in all areas of northeast district. We are holding talks with locals and trying to rebuild confidence,” a senior police official said. No untoward incident has been reported from the northeast district over the past three days, he said, adding police are urging residents to not pay attention to rumours and report them to authorities.
The police on Sunday recovered three more bodies from two separate locations in the national capital. Delhi Police officials confirmed that three bodies have been recovered, ne from a canal in Gokulpuri and two from Bhagirathi Vihar canal.
All the bodies recovered today were sent to GTB Hospital for post-mortem exercise. The identity of the deceased is yet to be identified.
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited some of the riots-hit areas, including Brahmapuri, and consoled the people disturbed by the worst violence in three decades in Delhi.
Even days after the violence, there was an eerie silence in the streets that once used to be teeming with people and hawkers. In Shiv Vihar, among the worst hit areas, the lanes were deserted and almost all the houses locked. In Mustafabad, people were wary of stepping out of their homes in narrow bylanes.
“Though there is police presence, tension is lingering. We celebrated Eid, Holi, Diwali together. I have never faced such a situation in
my life. There is grief, mistrust, disbelief. Those who indulged in violence did not belong to the area, they came from outside,” said Mohammad Yunus, 45.
Yunus, who owns a garment store in Shiv Vihar, said he was saved by his Hindu neighbours during the violence and they tore the shop name-board outside to save the business from rioters.
Acting Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava visited DCP Amit Sharma, undergoing treatment at a hospital in Patparganj after suffering serious injuries during the violence in Gokulpuri on February 24.
“The NHRC has deputed a fact-finding team to investigate the recent cases of violence in northeast Delhi,” according to an official.
In a statement, the NHRC said it had asked its Director General (Investigation) to depute its fact-finding team for on-spot inquiries
into violation of human rights during the violence. “The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance
of violence in Delhi and specifically in northeast district, as reported in the media, and directed its Director General (Investigation) to depute two fact-finding teams to conduct on-spot inquiry into allegations of human rights violation due to these incidents,” the statement said.
Till Saturday, at least 42 people had lost their lives and more than 200 people have sustained serious injuries. Moreover, properties worth crores of rupees have been damaged in the communal violence that rocked north-east Delhi for four days.
