Security personnel stand guard on a street following clashes over the new citizenship law, near Jafrabad metro station in northeast Delhi
The death toll in Northeast Delhi violence rose to 20 on Wednesday as at least four more bodies were brought to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. The updated death toll was confirmed by Medical Superintendent of GTB Hospital, Sunil Kumar. In the wake of the rising death toll, Delhi Police have released some helpline numbers, for those who want the details of any victim. The Delhi Police have circulated the contact numbers of the following officers.
Meanwhile, in a midnight hearing, the Delhi High Court directed police to ensure safe passage to government hospitals and emergency treatment for those injured in the communal violence erupted in northeast Delhi over the amended citizenship law.
Delhi violence: Delhi Police release helpline numbers
The court held a special hearing, which started at 12:30 am, at the residence of Justice S Muralidhar after receiving a call from an advocate explaining the dire circumstances under which the victims were unable to be removed from a small hospital to the GTB Hospital.
A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Anup J Bhambhani directed the Delhi Police to ensure safe passage of the injured victims by deploying all resources at its command and on the strength of this order as well as to make sure they receive immediate emergency treatment if not at the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital then at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP) or Maulana Azad or any other hospital.
The bench also called for a status report of compliance, including information about the injured victims and the treatment offered to them, and the matter will be heard during the day at 2:15 pm.
It said the order be communicated to the medical superintendents of the GTB and the LNJP Hospitals.
The urgent hearing was conducted after advocate Suroor Mander called the judge and sought urgent orders for safe passage of ambulances for the injured.
The Delhi Police and the government were represented through additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose.
During the hearing, the bench spoke over the phone to doctor Anwar of the Al-hind Hospital in New Mustafabad who told the court that there were two bodies and 22 injured persons there and he had been trying to seek police assistance since 4 pm on Tuesday without success.
The court then directed the senior officials to reach the hospital forthwith, following which they started the process of evacuating the injured to the nearest hospitals.
It also said this order be brought to the knowledge of the Delhi Police Commissioner.
On Tuesday, the violence escalated in northeast Delhi as police struggled to check the rioters who ran amok on streets, burning and looting shops, pelting stones and thrashing people.
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