6 arrested for violence in Delhi’s Seelampur during citizenship law protests

The lanes of Jaffrabad, Seelampur and adjacent areas in northeast Delhi remained under tight surveillance with heavy police deployment till Wednesday morning, a day after locals resorted to stone pelting when a protest against the Citizenship Ammendment Act on Tuesday afternoon turned into a violent concern.

The police imposed prohibitory orders (Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or CrPC) in the entire northeast Delhi on Wednesday.

Joint commissioner of police (eastern range) Alok Kumar said the areas will remain under surveillance for the next few hours. He said they are working closely with peacekeeping committees of the areas to ensure such violence is not repeated.

“We are checking CCTV footages to identify more miscreants,” the joint commissioner said.

At least 21 people were injured on Tuesday afternoon, including six locals, 12 policemen and three Rapid Action Force personnel after the protest that had started with a peaceful march, soon took shape of a violent agitation.

Nearly 20 vehicles included those of the police were also torched or vandalized.

Among the vehicles damaged by the protesters, there was a school van. They also torched three motorcycles and tried to set ablaze a police post on the main road between Seelampur and Jafrabad.

The entry and exit gates of seven metro stations on this stretch were closed and traffic had to be diverted.