Jahangirpuri clashes: Delhi police file FIRs on VHP, Bajrang men

New Delhi: Two days after the clashes at Jahangirpuri in northwest Delhi, a police investigation team came under attack on Monday as it went to the house of a 28-year-old man who was seen firing a gunshot during the riots in the area on Saturday evening.

The Delhi police has also registered a First Information Report (FIR) against some members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal for taking out a religious procession without permission in Jahangirpuri, where violent clashes broke out on April 16. The police said it had also arrested Prem Sharma, the VHP’s district seva pramukh, in connection with the violence.

Further, a 36-year-old man was also arrested for allegedly supplying bottles which were used for pelting. The accused has been identified as Sheikh Hameed. The police said that he works as a scrap dealer and is a resident of Jahangirpuri.

Union home minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, directed the Delhi police to take strict action against the culprits in the Jahangirpuri violence, and “set an example so that such incidents are not repeated”.

Usha Rangnani, deputy commissioner of police, Northwest, said during investigations, one more accused, Hameed, was arrested over the case and on interrogation he told police he had supplied bottles which were used for pelting during the clashes.

The police also arrested the 28-year-old man for allegedly firing shots during the communal clashes. The accused has been identified as Sonu, alias Imam, a resident of C Block in Jahangirpuri. A video was also being circulated on the social media since April 17, showing the same man (in a blue kurta) opening fire during the riots. The DCP said that he has been apprehended by the special staff. Earlier in the day, Sonu resorted to stone-pelting when the policemen went to their house for investigations.

“To investigate the matter, a police team of Northwest district had gone to the alleged shooter’s house in CD Park Road in search of him and for examination of his family members. However, when the police reached the spot, some family members of Sonu pelted two stones at them, after which the police had detained one person from the spot,” the police said.

“The situation is completely under control now,” the DCP said, adding: “The media reports on fresh stone-pelting on Monday is an exaggeration of the facts. It was a minor, one-off incident. Legal action is being taken.”

The DCP said the FIRs were registered under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code. The procession was taken out Saturday evening without any permission and one person, Prem Sharma, the VHP’s jila sewa pramukh, had been arrested.

The other two processions in the morning and afternoon on April 16 in the Jahangirpuri police station area had due permission, the DCP said.

On Sunday, the VHP had said it had organised a yatra on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti and claimed both Jahangirpuri and Mahendra police stations were given the information on April 15 on the procession to be held on Saturday.

The police has as of now arrested a total of 24 accused over the violence, and the total number of arrests includes that of Mohammad Aslam, who had fired a bullet that hit a sub-inspector of the Delhi Police. The pistol used by the accused was seized from his possession. Besides him, Ansar, 35, alleged to be the “main conspirator” behind the violence, has also been arrested, the police said.

The case has been transferred to the Crime Branch, while the Northwest district police and Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSCO) of the Special Cell will also help them to probe the case, the police said.