Narela: Policemen fire at angry mob, vendor dies

Protest after minor crushed to death

A roadside vendor was shot dead allegedly by a police party escaping from a violent mob furious over the mowing down of a boy in Outer Delhi’s Narela area on Thursday morning. An SDM inquiry was initiated into the incident even as the Delhi police maintained that they opened aerial fire in self-defence, denying that the man died of the bullet shot by the cops. “With whose bullet the vendor died is a matter of investigation. Beside the SDM inquiry, an internal department probe has also been initiated,” the police sources said. Two cases, one of rash and negligent driving and another of riots and arson, have been filed at the Shahbad Dairy police station as well. DCP Vikramjeet Singh remained unavailable for comments. The police also claimed that 17 of its men have been injured in the incident. Bodies of both the deceased were sent for autopsy.

At about 8.30 am on Wednesday morning, the bus of a private school mowed down a 3-year-old boy, identified as Aditya, in Holombi Kalan Phase-II area when he was going to buy shampoo from his grandmother’s kiosk just metres away from his house.

The police officials said that soon after the incident, the driver of the bus which was carrying more than a dozen students and a teacher, tried to flee the scene but was held by the locals. “He was then beaten up mercilessly by the angry locals,” said the police, adding, “the boy, who was injured critically in the incident, died on the spot.” Locals then gathered in hundreds at the spot.

One of the residents said that a PCR call was made at about 9.30 am. One came after a few minutes but it returned seeing huge gathering of angry locals. “After a while, a team of about 10-12 policemen from the local police station came to the spot and took the body of the boy to the hospital for autopsy besides rushing the critically injured driver to the hospital,” said Ravi, one of the protesters, adding, “the family members of the boy and other residents then decided to take the bus to a park nearby and set the vehicle on fire.”

This, they said, was not allowed by the policemen after which a stand-off between the cops and the residents erupted. It soon spiralled into violence with police lathicharging the people.

A senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, said that the policemen got caught in the violent mob. During the violent exchange, at least 17 of them suffered injuries, including an assistant commissioner of police.

Ashwini, another protester, added: “The cops then started running towards the police station while informing their colleagues on the radio sets about the situation.” He added: “While they were trying to flee, 2-3 of them opened fire.”

While a few rounds were shot in the air, one of the bullets went on to hit Wasim, who was at his peanuts kiosk by the roadside.”

“We were even more agitated over this act of the cops.”

The cops, on the other hand, managed somehow to reach the police station after which extra force was sent to the spot. “It was only when the tear gas shells were used that the crowd dispersed and the situation got under control,” said the senior police officer, adding, “An inquiry has been initiated into the matter.”

Wasim Khan’s father Naseem Khan, who is labourer in a factory, said: “I got to know of the incident from my son-in-law. My son has been killed unnecessarily by the cops as he was not even the part of the mob.” Wasim has two brothers.