(Image source from: indiatoday.in)

Several areas of the North East district of Delhi has witnessed fresh clashes of communal riots and over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) where in the people who are in support of CAA and the ones against it have clashed and this was continued for seven hours, on Monday.

The clash had taken place from Jafrabad to Chand Bagh and Karwal Nagar in the north- east Delhi where the streets were left burning with fire which were littered with stones, bricks and glass that led to smoke scarring the landscape.

This violence has claimed the lives of one policeman and four others while over 60 people have been injured in which two dozen cops, including a DCP. Passersby and rioters were identified as a part of the 60 individuals who have been injured in the violent clash.

The cop who had died was identified as Ratan Lal who was a head constable and the one who was injured has been identified as Shahdara Amit Sharma who is the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and is currently in the ICU. He has been reported to be in a critical condition as he has suffered with several head injuries and clots and several bruises all over his body as he had been dragged out of his official vehicle at Chand Bagh and it was set on fire.

The incidents were still being reported all through the night with the situation being very volatile. It has been said that the prohibitory orders under the Section 144 of CRPC were being imposed in the areas where the violence has broke out and the imposition of curfew can be done at any time if there has been deterioration in the situation.

Deployment of additional forces which includes the CRPF were made and the flag marches have been conducted by the Security personnel during the evening hours.

It is said to be unclear whether the cause of death of the five who had died in the clash was either of gunshot injuries or due to blunt force trauma. However, an official confirmation regarding the cause of the death is said to be made only after the postmortem which is said to be conducted on Tuesday.

Although the head constable was killed in Gokulpuri, the others have been taken to the GTB Hospital and were declared dead on arrival.

Among the people who were injured, it also included Anuj Kumar who is the ACP of Gokulpuri, two CRPF personnel and three firemen and several journalists have been manhandled.

According to the sources, at least eleven police personnel have been injured which included Shahdara Amit Sharma who is the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)

The violence had been reported from Jafrabad, Chand Bagh, Maujpur, Bhajanpura, Kardampuri, Gokulpuri, Khajuri and Karawal Nagar as several shops, vehicles have been attacked and the mobs also attacked anyone who were in their way and who were suspected to be of the other religion.

According to the records, it has been noted that the full- fledged pelting of stones had been started between the protesters and the groups of people supporting CAA and the groups that are against the Citizenship Amendment Act, at 10:30 in the morning in several areas in and around Jafrabad. This violence has then escalated as it had turned over to communal riot and the mobs have kept growing in strength which led to the stones being thrown at each other in no time. The pelting of the stones has taken place from either side of the Yamuna canal which runs parallel to the Metro tracks.

The clash has also been witnessed in Maujpur where the protesters had not only thrown stones at each other but they had also torched three vehicles and shops. The mobs had attacked individuals as it has been observed that a man has been assaulted after striking him down and had not let him leave although he started to bleed.

                        (Image source from: indiatoday.in)

The violence had raised to the extremes during the mid- day at around 1:00 pm when the rioters had set a fire to the petrol pump in Bhajanpura and two school buses were also torched on the border of Bhajanpura and Yamuna Vihar.

The rioters have littered all the major roads with bricks, stones and glass shards.

This violent clashes in Delhi have coincided with the visit made by the President of the United States Donald Trump to Delhi where it has been said that he would be spending most of Wednesday. It has been believed that the security forces would be on guard in order to prevent any such clashes in the national capital.

By Shrithika Kushangi