Masked men open fire, barge into houses after Mori Gate argument
AT LEAST FOUR PERSONS, INCLUDING A WOMAN AND A GIRL, WERE INJURED WHILE MORE THAN TWO DOZEN CARS, AUTO-RICKSHAWS AND TWO-WHEELERS WERE DAMAGED IN THE VIOLENCE, POLICE SAID
nNEW DELHI: Tension ran high in the Kucha Mohtar Khan neighbourhood in north Delhi’s Mori gate on Monday morning after nearly a dozen masked men, all armed, allegedly went on the rampage for nearly 30 minutes — firing in the air, vandalising vehicles and homes and assaulting women and children.
Senior police officers said Monday’s violence was the fallout of a tiff that had happened on Monday morning between a habitual criminal from northwest Delhi’s Model Town and five-six locals from Kucha Mohtar Khan over an unknown issue.
The fight and the subsequent violence lasted for nearly halfan-hour, with the assailants fleeing before police could reach the spot, they said.
While locals alleged that at least six rounds were fired by the miscreants, the police said that they had found just four empty bullet shells from the spot.
At least four persons, including a woman and a girl, were injured while more than two dozen cars, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers were damaged in the violence, police said.
Locals told the police that one of the alleged assailants had put a knife on the throat of a 13-yearold boy and threatened to kill him in front of his family members.
The alleged assailants forcibly barged into a few houses, misbehaved with the residents and vandalised items inside, locals said.
The sudden firing and violence left locals shocked and scurrying for cover, residents alleged. As many as 50 police personnel were deployed in the neighbourhood later to maintain law and order and avoid a rerun of violence.
Some videos of the violence were captured on mobile phone cameras and uploaded on social media websites. The videos show several bikes and scooters toppled on both sides of narrow lanes, as residents narrated how the men had allegedly barged into their houses and threatened and misbehaved with women and children.
A case of rioting, attempt to murder, house trespass and firing has been registered against Lalit alias Pong, a man with criminal antecedents, at Model Town police station for Monday’s violence, deputy commissioner of police (north) Monika Bhardwaj said.
DCP Bhardwaj said around 1am, the police control room received information regarding a “quarrel between two groups” in Mori Gate. But when a police team reached the spot, they found several vehicles damaged and some bikes and scooters lying overturned in the lanes. Scores of residents were present outside and they told the police about the firing and rioting by 10-15 unidentified masked men.
During preliminary enquiry, the DCP said, it was learnt that Lalit, who had previously been arrested in a murder case, had come to his in-laws home in Mori Gate.
Around 1am, Lalit had an altercation with two locals over some issue. Three-four locals joined the duo and they together assaulted Lalit, she said.
“Lalit then called some of his associates to the spot . Within 15 minutes, Lalit’s associates arrived at the spot and seeing them, the locals fled. The assailants,however, followed them and fired in the air, damaged vehicles, and barged into some houses,” said DCP Bhardwaj, adding that multiple teams have been formed to identify and nab the assailants.