Police deployed to control the situation after violent clashes broke out during a Hanuman Jayanti procession at Jahangirpuri, in New Delhi on Saturday.
Jahangirpuri violence: A day after violence broke out between two groups in Delhi's Jahangirpuri, nine people have been held so far. Police have lodged a case under sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 332, 323, 427, 436, 307, 120B IPC read with 27 Arms Act. During the violence nine people, including eight policemen were injured. The clashes were first reported in Block B and C area near Kushal cinema at around 5 to 5:30 p.m. Several teams of the Delhi Police are investigating as to how the violence erupted. Around 5-6 police personnel and a couple of civilians were injured in the untoward incident. All police units across all districts in the National Capital Region (NCR) have been placed under high alert after the communal violence. Delhi Police Commissioner has warned of stringent action against the rioters and said there is additional police force deployment across NCR. Severe clashes between two communities took place in Jahangirpuri area of north-west Delhi on Saturday evening when a 'Shobha Yatra' was being taken out on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.
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A peek into what possibly led to clashes in the capital
- In several videos of the incident going viral on social media, people could be seen pelting stones during the procession. Some were seen brandishing swords on a street while others were hurling abuses. India TV could not independently verify the videos.
- A shopkeeper at Jahangirpuri's C block area alleged that miscreants forcefully tried to enter his shop. The miscreants then looted the goods and decamped with all the money from the cash counter.
- Mohammad Shahin, who runs a shop adjacent to Jahangir Puri's C Block mosque, told India TV that the people involved in the Hanuman Janmotsav tried to put up a flag atop a mosque and after that the dispute escalated.
- After the violence in Jahangirpuri, many videos are going viral on social media. One of these videos has surfaced, in which some people are seen raising slogans of 'Allah Hu Akbar' while waving swords in their hands. Actually this video is from Jahangirpuri C Block area. The mosque is 50 meters away from the place where people raised slogans and waved swords. C Block was the main spot of Saturday's clash, from where the violence and stone pelting erupted.
- Preliminary investigations also revealed some people engaged in a scuffle with another community while the 'Shobha Yatra' procession was being carried, which led to stone-pelting and vehicles being torched.
- Hindu group said Muslims started pelting stones, the Muslim residents said the Hindu procession attendees incited the violence through sloganeering.
- Many residents of the area also said said outsiders were involved in inciting the violence.
- Delhi police officials are examining the CCTV footage to identify the rioters.
- The area where the clashes took place continues to be under heavy police security cover
- Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the officers to take strict action against the miscreants.
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