The death toll in Delhi's violence rose to 46 on Monday as the situation remained tense but peaceful. While 38 have been reported dead at the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, three at Lok Nayak Hospital, four at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and one at Jag Parvesh Chander Hospital. Four bodies were recovered from the drains in Gokalpuri and Shiv Vihar areas of the violence-affected northeast area on Sunday. Panic had gripped the residents of several parts of the national capital on Sunday evening following false rumours of violence, even as the Delhi Police and AAP leaders denied any incident and appealed people to remain calm.
"A rumour has been noticed that there is some tension in Khyala-Raghubir Nagar area of West District. There is no truth behind it. All are requested to keep calm as the situation is absolutely normal & peaceful," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) West Deepak Purohit said. The DCPs of some police districts and station house officers (SHOs) of police stations took to Twitter to assure people that their areas were peaceful and normal. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) also shut down the entry and exit gates of seven metro stations but later reopened them.
The violence in Delhi began over a disputed new citizenship law, which led to clashes in which hundreds were injured and houses, shops, schools and vehicles were set on fire. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims protesting against the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and NRC (National Register of Citizens) introduced by the government had been building for months and the violence exploded last week during US President Donald Trump’s state visit to India.
Union home minister Amit Shah has accused opposition parties of inciting the riots by spreading misinformation about the citizenship law, which fast-tracks naturalization for religious minorities from several neighboring countries but not Muslims. The rumors spreading on Sunday included reports of armed groups marching in neighborhoods while chanting slogans, and houses being set on fire.
The panic subsided when police reached out to both Hindu and Muslim religious leaders and asked them to help maintain calm in their neighborhoods. Police also issued statements and some lawmakers took to the streets to reassure people that the situation was normal.
On Monday, India’s top court agreed to hear cases filed by riot victims accusing some BJP leaders of hate speech. Some of the victims accuse Kapil Mishra, a local BJP leader of stoking the violence. Mishra had demanded at a rally that police shut down a Muslim-led protest in the city or else he and his followers would do it themselves. Hours later, Hindus and Muslims fought each other with guns and swords, metal rods and axes, leaving the streets where the rioting occurred resembling a war zone. Congress party demanded that Home Minister Shah resign.
Authorities are yet to provide an official account of what sparked the violence. Police spokesman Manjeet Singh Randhawa did not respond to repeated questions about how many of the hundreds of people detained in the riots had been charged.
Police looking for AAP councilor
The police are looking for AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, booked in the murder case of IB official Ankit Sharma. His mobile phone has been switched off and a man who was coordinating with the media on his behalf claimed he has not been in touch with him as well. A forensic team, along with members of SIT, inspected the drain from where Sharma’s body had been recovered. The police suspect that Sharma was first killed and then his body dumped in the drain. Police have arrested over 130 people, detained over 400 and registered 48 FIRs.
SIT to probe larger conspiracy
The SIT will also probe a “larger conspiracy”, which cops suspect was hatched over a period. Their suspicion has been strengthened by the recoveries made from the area which include improvised hand grenades tied with rope and “bottle bomb launchers” which resemble a big-size slingshot tied to trees or fences to make it look like swings. These arrangements could not have been made overnight, said a source.
