(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Delhi's Trilokpuri area remained tense yesterday though no violence was reported, police said, a day after five people were shot at during a communal clash, leaving one in critical condition. But police denied the area was curfew-bound.
"The situation is tense but under control. No fresh violence or clashes have been reported," Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajay Kumar said.
Police had detained around 70 people till Saturday night after two groups of Hindus and Muslims pelted stones at each other on Friday. After a brief lull, clashes erupted again and five people were shot at Saturday evening.
Following Thursday's clash over Diwali celebrations, the authorities imposed prohibitory orders banning illegal gatherings.
Trilokpuri residents said there was "a curfew like situation".
Delhi Police denied this. "There is no curfew like situation, but section 144 of CrPC (prohibiting unlawful assembly of people) is imposed in the area," spokesman Rajan Bhagat said.
The whole of Trilokpuri, divided into 36 blocks, were being manned by more than 1,000 security personnel - from Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force.
Over 30 police vans, water cannons and riot control vehicles have also been deployed.
Some of the roads where street clashes took places were strewn with stones and broken bottles yesterday.
Though police said the five were injured in mob firing, their families blamed the police.
"Arjun was shot by police when he was returning from a nearby block. He had gone for tuition and was returning around 1pm Saturday," his mother Malar said.
Ajit's mother Anjali also claimed that her son was shot by police. Police said 14 people, including 13 police personnel, were injured in the stone-pelting. They were admitted to hospitals.
Trilokpuri residents expressed anger over the police action, and accused officials of not apprehending the real culprits.
"Most of the people staying in block 27 were nabbed from their houses. They were badly beaten up and dragged out of their houses. All of them are innocent," Trilokpuri resident Mohammad Fahim said.
Two consecutive days of violence and the prevailing tension in the area have forced many families in Trilokpuri to flee their homes to safety. The violence that began on Thursday night spilled over to Saturday, spreading panic among people.
"We are going to live with our relatives in the Laxmi Nagar area until things pacify here. We don't want to live in fear of getting attacked by the mobs," said a father of two without disclosing his name, while waiting for an auto with his family.
According to locals, it is mainly children and women who are fleeing the area, "People are more concerned about the children and women in the family and sending them away to friends and relatives' homes in other parts of the city while the men have stayed back to safeguard their properties," said a local.
Another issue, locals claim, is the unofficial curfew in the area. Shopkeepers prefer to keep their shops closed in fear of vandalism.
"Nobody had predicted such a situation in the area and are running out of ration and because of the violence on the streets, shops have remained closed," said a resident.
Locals allege that police officials deployed in the area are misbehaving with residents on pretext of searching them. "They have been carrying out random searches in the area and have been abusing almost everyone. They are even beating men whenever they try to come out of the houses," said a resident of block 27, in Trilokpuri.
The locals are still unaware of the reason behind the sudden communal tension. They say moving out for a couple of days to ensure the safety of their families might be the best solution for now.
Meanwhile, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Arvinder Singh expressed serious concern over the clashes in Trilokpuri and appealed to the people to maintain peace.
The DPCC, in a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner, has asked him to immediately restore peace and order.
Chief spokesperson of the party Mukesh Sharma said that as the news of the clashes reached them, party leaders spoke to top police officials to get complete details of the clashes and appealed to the police to provide people security and protection.
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