NEW DELHI, April 18: Even as fresh incidents of stone pelting was reported from the disturbed areas in Delhi again on Monday, the police confirmed that the Hanuman Jayanti procession which was stoned on Saturday in Jahangirpuri locality was taken out illegally without the police permission.
While an organiser of the procession, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad activist has been arrested for the illegal procession, 23 people, including some minors, have been held in connection with the communal clashes that sparked off from stoning on the procession from a mosque in Jahagirpuri.
Fresh trouble erupted in the area on Monday morning when a police team, looking for a missing accused, tried to question his relative. The police team had gone to Jahangirpuri to look for an accused, Sonu Chikna, who was caught on camera firing shots during the Saturday clash but had been missing since.
When the team arrived at Sonu Chikna’s home, his family and neighbours threw stones at the team. As the violence threatened to escalate, personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) formed a human wall to prevent any clashes. The police called it a “minor, one-off incident” and said one person had been detained. “Media reports about fresh stone-pelting [on Monday] is an exaggeration of facts. It was a minor, one-off incident. Legal action is being taken,” DCP (northwest) Usha Rangrani said.
Stones and bricks were thrown from a roof, close to the site of Saturday’s clash and the Police and Rapid Action Force officials blocked off the area after the incident. Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had said a search was on for all the accused. “23 people have been arrested. They are from both communities. Action will be taken against any person found guilty irrespective of their class, creed, community and religion,” Asthana told reporters.
Giving details of Saturday’s incidents, the police said three processions were taken out that day to mark Hanuman Jayanti and the first two had been permitted. Trouble broke out during the third procession, for which no permission had been granted.
The police said as the procession passed by a mosque, the loud volume of religious chants clashed with the azaan, the Muslim call to prayers. The situation blew up during an argument between the two groups – the members of the procession and those praying in the mosque.
Muslims in the area have claimed that those who were in the Hanuman Jayanti procession carried weapons and tried to vandalise the mosque. Participants in the procession admitted that they carried arms but blamed the violence on the Muslims, who, they said, threw stones at them from the mosque.
The police said a case had been registered against members of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal for taking out the procession without permission. Prem Sharma, a VHP activist, has been arrested. “Some people are trying to disturb peace through the medium of social media. We are monitoring social media closely, and legal action will be taken against those who are found spreading misinformation. The public should not pay heed to rumours,” Asthana said.
The FIR, police said, has been lodged under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 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), 323 (causing hurt), 436 (mischief by fire), 34 (common intention) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act.
Last week, communal clashes broke out in four states – Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal – during the celebrations of Ram Navami, the festival which marks the birth of Lord Ram.
(Manas Dasgupta)