India / Section 144 imposed in North-East Delhi after protests over CAA

The lanes of Jaffrabad, Seelampur and adjacent areas in northeast Delhi remained under tight surveillance with heavy police deployment till Wednesday morning, a day after locals resorted to stone pelting when a protest against the Citizenship Ammendment Act on Tuesday afternoon turned into a violent agitation.

The police imposed prohibitory orders (Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or CrPC) in the entire northeast Delhi on Wednesday, according to news agency ANI. Various police teams are also carrying out patrolling on the streets of Seelampur.

Joint commissioner of police (eastern range) Alok Kumar said the areas will remain under surveillance for the next few hours. He said they are working closely with peacekeeping committees of the areas to ensure such violence is not repeated.

Kumar said news of some stone pelting was also received from Brijpur in Mistafabad. “We sent our reinforcements. No injuries were reported and the situation was controlled well in time,” he added.

Kumar said they are also in the process of verifying the role of six people in the violence, whom they have arrested for instigating violence. “All are local residents. Their criminal background is being checked,” said RP Meena, additional DCP, northeast.

“We are checking CCTV footages to identify more miscreants,” the joint commissioner said.

At least 21 people were injured on Tuesday afternoon, including six locals, 12 policemen and three Rapid Action Force personnel after the protest that had started with a peaceful march, soon took shape of a violent agitation. Nearly 20 vehicles included those of the police were also torched or vandalized.

The violence continued for over one-and-a-half hours as the police contingent, including Rapid Action Force personnel, fired more than 200 tear gas shells and 46 gas grenades and resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protesters.

Among the vehicles damaged by the protesters, there was a school van. They also torched three motorcycles and tried to set ablaze a police post on the main road between Seelampur and Jafrabad.

The entry/exit gates of seven metro stations on this stretch were closed and traffic had to be diverted.