The toll in the violence that erupted in North East Delhi last week, following communal clashes between supporters and opposers of the Citizenship Amendment Act, rose to 53 on Thursday, ANI reported.

Of the 53 people, 44 died in Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, five in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, three people in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, and one person died in Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital.

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Meanwhile, the Delhi Police said that 654 cases had been registered so far in connection with the violence. This included 47 cases, where charges under the Arms Act were applied. The police added that 1,820 people had either been arrested or detained in relation to the violence.

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Earlier on Thursday, suspended Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain was arrested in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma when violence erupted in North East district. The Delhi Police took him into custody after his plea to surrender and cooperate with the inquiry was rejected by the court. Hussain has repeatedly maintained that he is innocent and that the allegations against him are politically motivated.

While his party had initially defended the councillor, it later suspended him. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the deceased officer’s family.

On Wednesday, the Delhi Minorities Commission alleged that last week’s communal violence in the national Capital was well-planned and one-sided. The commission made the remark in an assessment report after visiting the affected areas. Violence in the North East Delhi district started on February 23 and continued for five days, claiming 53 lives – the worst toll in communal clashes in Delhi since 1984.