27 arrested after their scuffle caused traffic jam in N-W Delhi: Cops

New Delhi: Tension prevailed in Northwest Delhi's Shalimar Bagh area on Wednesday after hundreds of residents started quarrelling and pelting stones at each other and the police, which left eight police personnel injured, the district police confirmed on Thursday. More than 27 people were booked for rioting after an argument escalated and residents threw bottles, attacked police personnel and police vehicles, and disrupted traffic movement in the area.

"On July 27, SI Prem Prakash I/C P. P Wazirpur Industrial Area, P. S. Ashok Vihar was patrolling with his staff near Prem Bari Pul when at around 10.30 pm he saw a gathering of residents of AO block Shalimar Bagh on the opposite side near Prem Bari bus stand. Meanwhile, a PCR call was also received regarding traffic jams in Shalimar Bagh police station," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Northwest Usha Rangnani said.

According to the police, the incident took place at Prem Bari Pul in Northwest Delhi. Videos of the incident showing a group of young men and boys running on the main road and stopping cars went viral. Police personnel are seen trying to control the crowd and disperse them. Other videos show men pelting stones and police chasing them with lathis.

"The local police of Shalimar Bagh and nearby police stations also reached the spot. During the local enquiry, it came into notice that 23-year-old Santosh, a resident of the AO block, had some conflict with two to three drug addict boys who were standing near Prem Badi bus stand. He called the residents from jhuggi who started blocking traffic," the DCP said.

Around 200 people had gathered by midnight, police said. "When police tried to remove them from the road to allow movement of traffic, some of the miscreants tried to put fire on one traffic motorcycle but the fire was immediately doused by police. They also broke glasses of three to four police vehicles," the senior cop further added.

"During the incident one civilian and eight police personnel got injured. All the injured persons were discharged from the hospital after treatment," police said. Meanwhile, police registered a case under sections, 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) /353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) /332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) /147 (Punishment for rioting)/148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon)/ 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence commit­ted in the prosecution of common object) / 307 (Attempt to murder) /308 ( Attempt to commit culpable homicide) IPC and 3&4 Damage to Public Property Act.

Further investigation is in progress.