Uneasy calm prevails in Trilokpuri

NEWDELHI: Additional police forces continued to keep a vigil in east Delhi’s Trilokpuri on Saturday, days after an argument during a cricket match sparked violence between two groups in the area, leading to stone pelting and vandalism .

Police have also found that one of the seven men arrested on Friday has three past cases of violence registered against him. Community policing and public meetings were held in the neighbourhood late on Saturday to ensure peace prevailed in the area, police said.

Trilokpuri had witnessed clashes between two groups on Thursday night after a resident of Block 20 of the area had an argument with some men who were playing cricket near his house. The argument later turned ugly and took shape of a riot as both the groups rained bottles and bricks on each other, leaving four residents and four policemen injured.

Police teams had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob and seven men from both the groups were arrested. Deputy commissioner of police (east), Pankaj Kumar Singh said that Mohammad Rashid, one of the seven men arrested for rioting, already has three cases of violence and assault registered against him.

Others who were arrested were i dentified as Sohaib Mohammad and Noor Mohammad, both Rashid’s cousins, Rahul Sharma, Ankit, Lalit and one Shoib, all residents of Trilokpuri.

“We are also looking into the backgrounds of t he other arrested men. The additional force continues to remain deployed in the area. We are taking no chance. No incident of violence was reported on Saturday,” Singh said.

The DCP also said that public meetings are being held and the focus is now on community policing to ensure peace prevails after the police force is withdrawn.

Parwez Miyan, president of the ‘Hindu Muslim Sikh Isayi Ekta committee’, said that a series of meetings were held with senior police officers and local residents.

“We are trying to include more people from all communities in our committee. A message of ‘aman and shanti’ (peace and harmony) was spread in the area and detailed discussions with all communities, castes and groups were held. We deliberately did not call any political representative as we did not want to politicise the matter,” said Miyan, adding that the situation in Trilokpuri was now normal.