New Delhi:
One person has died and several others are injured after the police allegedly opened fire in the air to control a mob in New Delhi's Mayur Vihar area today. Violent clashes had broken out between the police and residents of Mayur Vihar Phase-3 after a young man, who was hit by a policeman, fell down on the road and was run over by a passing car. He was taken to a hospital where his condition is reportedly critical.
The incident happened when two men on a scooter were stopped this afternoon by cops at a traffic checkpoint for not wearing helmets. An argument ensued between the cops, following which the bikers tried to speed away. To stop them, the cops hit one of them with a stick due to which he fell down on the road and was hit by a vehicle coming from behind. He was taken to the Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital.
After the incident, a mob lashed out at the police. They set a police station, a police post, a petrol pump and several vehicles, including a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus, on fire. A fire engine is still trying to control the fire at the petrol pump. The police had to fire in the air and resort to lathicharge to restrain the mob. Six people have been detained by the police.
"The injured are in Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital, my Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) who is giving me information on the phone has informed that one boy has been hit on the shoulder and there is a dead body too. Five police constables have been injured, in the Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) hospital, there is one person with bullet injuries and the other scooterist, because of whom the whole incident has been triggered, happens to have been beaten with lathis," said BM Mishra, Deputy Commissioner, East.
Around 20 companies (1,600 men) of Delhi Armed Police have been deployed in and around the Mayur Vihar area.
To avoid further tension, roads to the area have been blocked by police and pickets set up every 500 metres. Ambulances and fire tenders have been stationed for any emergency situation.
Police said that the situation was under control after 10.30 p.m., but miscreants in Khoda colony, falling in adjoining Uttar Pradesh, were still pelting stones at police sporadically.