Firefighters attempt to douse fire in a burning shop following clashes over the new citizenship law, in Gokulpuri area of northeast Delhi, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. Communal violence over the amended citizenship law in northeast Delhi had claimed at least 20 lives till today as police struggled to check the rioters who ran amok on streets, burning and looting shops, pelting stones and thrashing people.
As the Delhi High Court heared a plea seeking FIR for those involved in the ongoing violence in Northeast Delhi, it observed that "a situation like 1984 must not be repeated again, not under the watch of this Court." The court observed that "it was time to provide Z-level security to citizens, as it was for everyone."
Standing counsel apprised the Court that there is an official confirmation on 17 deaths due to violence in North East Delhi.
The Delhi High Court has asked administration to set up helplines to help victims, private ambulances to be provided for safe passage of victims. The court has also directed the officials to set up shelters for rehabilitation along with basic facilities.
The bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Anup J Bhambhani, termed as "extremely unfortunate" the killing of IB officer in the ongoing violence in which 20 people have died and over 180 injured.
"While order was being dictated mid night, police was implementing it right there and rescuing injured persons," the bench said during the day's hearing.
It added that the highest constitutional functionaries who move with Z-security should reach out to the affected people to give them confidence that law is functioning.
Twenty one people, including a Delhi Police head constable, have died so far in the riots that broke out on Monday in Maujpur and Jafrabad areas of Delhi’s North East district. Nearly 150 were wounded and property--cars, homes, shops and a petrol pump--were set on fire amid heavy stone-pelting and violence that was unleashed on the streets of India’s national capital.
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