Delhi: Four protestors among five who died in clashes over CAA suffered bullet injuries, says doctor

The four of the five people who died in the clashes that erupted over opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi on Monday suffered bullet injuries and the police constable died due to stone pelting, Hindustan Times reported. Violence took place in Maujpur, Jaffrabad, Bhajanpura, Kardampuri, Dayalpur and Chandbagh areas – located less than 15 km from the city’s centre – just ahead of United States President Donald Trump’s first visit to the city for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“So far, five people have died in the clashes,” an unidentified doctor told the newspaper. “One was a police constable who succumbed to a severe head injury, and the other four had suffered bullet injuries.”

Another official said constable Ratan Lal was probably hit with a stone or lathi. The autopsies will be conducted on Tuesday after their respective families give consent.

Guru Teg Bahadur hospital in Dilshad Garden received over 50 injured patients, beyond the capacity of what the emergency ward can accommodate. Doctors were also unable to give the exact count of patients who were in a critical condition.

A few protestors had also sustained shrapnel injuries from tear gas shells fired by the police. One person suffered burn injuries to the upper body due to a Molotov cocktail.

Additional Medical Superintendent, GTB Hospital, Rajesh Kalra, said a 10-year-old also suffered gunshot wounds, The Indian Express reported. “They were admitted to the hospital’s emergency ward,” he added. “Most of them suffered gunshot wounds and are under observation. Others received injuries due to stone-pelting. We discharged them after providing first aid.”

Meanwhile, six policemen have been admitted to Max hospital in Patparganj, including Shahdara Deputy Commissioner of Police Amit Sharma, who sustained head injury. “Max Hospital, Patparganj received six policemen with injuries sustained in civic unrest in parts of Delhi,” the hospital said in a statement. “Four patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital, while two others have been discharged after treatment.”

At Jag Parvesh Chander hospital, around 12 people had been brought in, mostly with minor injuries. “A couple of people had suffered fractures and one had burn injuries,” Medical Superintendent Adarsh Kumar said. “The rest mostly had cuts and bruises.”

The violence erupted in the presence of nearly 100 policemen, who seemingly did not respond to the situation on Monday. Vehicles, shops, houses and a petrol pump were set on fire. Two mini-trucks were also vandalised, and a fire tender torched.

Meanwhile, a man who was seen firing during the violence in the Jaffrabad area, had been identified as Shahrukh and detained, ANI reported. In a widely-circulated video, he was seen brandishing a gun and firing a few rounds in the air before an unarmed police officer.

The Delhi government has ordered all private and government schools in the northeast Delhi district to remain closed on Tuesday in the wake of the violence.

Ministers Gopal Rai, Imran Hussain and other Aam Aadmi Party MLAs met Special Commissioner of Police Rajesh Khurana. He assured them that sufficient police personnel will be deployed in North East Delhi. The legislators sat outside Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s house for over two hours to seek an appointment with him.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla told reporters the situation was under control and sufficient forces had been deployed.

Clashes first broke out on Sunday evening, soon after Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra gave the police a three-day ultimatum to stop an anti-CAA protest that began in Jaffrabad on Saturday night, involving around 500 people, mostly women. Mishra said he would not listen even to the police after three days. After both sides shouted slogans, the groups started pelting stones at each other, leading to chaos in the area.