New Delhi : With the death toll climbing to 38 on Thursday, the situation in riot- affected areas of Northeast Delhi is returning to normalcy with heavy deployment of security forces. The security forces also conducted flag marches in the area. Four days after communal clashes that began in northeast Delhi over the amended citizenship law and spiraled into bloodshed, arson and looting, the body of a man was found in a drain in Johri Enclave and there were scattered incidents of vehicles and shops being set on fire in Maujpur, Bhajanpura and other areas.
“In Yamuna Vihar, three to four rioters came around 4 am on Thursday to burn vehicles. A few kilometres away, a charred board at a private school in Brijpuri read, Welcome to a very happy school. The 52-year-old Arun Modern Senior Secondary School looks no less than a cemetery, said an official, looking around at the damage which he estimated to be over Rs 70 lakh.
“Three to four rioters came around 4am on Thursday to burn vehicles. One of them was holding a bucket in his hand and filled with some liquid, which was allegedly poured all over the parked vehicles among them one car caught fire. We panicked and raised the alarm, and they fled,” a local informed.
With that, vigilante residents started monitoring the abnormal activity in their surrounding; groups were made to guard their society. In a distance of a few kilometers, a charred board at a private school in Brijpur read, “ Welcome to Happy School” . Moreover, a 52 years old- Arun Modern Senior Secondary School looks no less than a cemetery, said an official.
Shops were closed and their shutters were narrating the story of violence that it had witnessed over the past few days and terrified people chose to stay indoors.
The riot’s probe had been transferred to the crime branch and two special investigation teams were constituted. “ Around 200 injured in the riots were getting treatment at GTB hospital in Dilshad Garden, meanwhile, scores of harrowing people were lined up outside the mortuary to claim the bodies of their loved ones, the death toll escalated with the death count rising to 38.
“The situation in the northeast is normal right now and no untoward incident has been reported today. Sufficient force has been deployed at every area and senior officers are monitoring the situation. The numbers of distress calls have been reduced. We have received calls on the two helplines which we released yesterday,” said Mandeep Singh Randhawa, the Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime.
“A total of 48 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered for arson, looting and the deaths. Police have evidence and are registering more FIRs. Police have also conducted around 350 meetings with Aman Committee in whole Delhi specifically in Northeast district,” said Randhawa.
“The investigation of the cases is going on and police have received evidence. Police teams are also conducting raids in different areas to nab the miscreants involved in arson and rioting,” Randhwa further said.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had visited Northeast Delhi’s riot affected areas a day earlier to calm sentiments and also reassured people that the security forces were standing by them.
As police conducted flag marches and security personnel spread out across the northeastern edge of the national capital in a bid to quell the violence raging since Sunday.
Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday asked Sundari Nanda, the special commissioner of police (vigilance) to meet the families of Delhi violence victims and ensure all possible assistance to them.
An official said Baijal also asked senior officers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, Health Department and district administration to assist the Special Commissioner of Police (vigilance) during her visit.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced that the Delhi government will give Rs 10 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives in the communal violence in northeast Delhi.
He said that the government will bear the cost of treatment of those injured in the violence and admitted to private hospitals. “Those seriously injured will get Rs 2 lakh. Special camps will be set up for people to get essential documents which they lost during arson,” said Kejriwal.
“The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received 19 calls from midnight to 8 am on Thursday from the riot-hit areas,” Director of DFS Atul Garg said.
“Over 100 firemen are deployed in the area and all the four fire stations in the area are provided with extra fire tenders to meet any emergency and are being managed by senior officers,” said Garg adding that senior officers are also camping in the riot-affected areas.
