Jafrabad protest site cleared after violence
New Delhi: At 4:15 pm the situation turned violent in Jafrabad where the women protesters were sitting on the road just under the metro station on Tuesday.
Cops resorted to using of force when some men tried to attack the police vehicle passing on the opposite road as news of atrocities from neighbouring Maujpur, Bhajanpura and Kardampuri started reaching Jafrabad.
Loud sounds of stun grenades were heard and some protesters were injured by pellet guns. A group of protesters were seen picking up the two injured men who were hit in the eyes and legs with pellets. They were later rushed to Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital. Police later convinced the protesters to vacate the road which they did.
Later, the lanes and the bylanes of the Jafrabad were barricaded so that the crowd could be contained. Section 144 has already been imposed in Northeast Delhi.
Earlier, approximately one kilometre from Jafrabad protest site smoke could be seen coming out from near Maujpur-Babarpur metro station on Tuesday where another group set for a protest demanding clearance of Jafrabad road.
The Delhi police armed with the riot gear along with Rapid Action Force and Vajra vehicles created a buffer zone to separate the two sets of protesters from each other.
"We have been receiving messages from those who are stuck in Maujpur and Kardampuri. They are frightened and the other group is beating and thrashing them. This is a complete failure of law and order," said Mohammad Mukeem, a local at the protest site.
As the situation aggravated, families locked themselves inside their rooms as frantic calls from relatives started pouring in.
Later, The DCP Northeast Ved Prakash Surya went to the Madarsa and along with the religious leaders appealed to the protesters to vacate the protest site. The women who were earlier adamant on their decision to sit later mellowed down over repeated requests by the DCP.
"We have not used force instead we were able to convince people to disperse," said Ved Prakash Surya, DCP North East.
The protest site under the Jafrabad Metro was cleared at around 7:30 pm in the evening. A heavy police force was deployed in the entire North East and warning was issued by cops to mob not to indulge in violence.
