Tension prevailed in Chawri Bazar in central Delhi on Monday, a day after a scuffle broke out following an argument between two men over a parking issue, the police said. Three FIRs have been registered in the case.
The police said that a PCR call was received at 9 p.m. on Sunday over a scuffle near Gali Durga Mandir on the main road of Chawri Bazar.
Minor injuries
Sanjay Gupta, who owns a food cart and Aas Mohammaed, a businessman engaged in a scuffle following an argument when Mohammaed parked his scooter outside Gupta’s house. Both of them sustained minor injuries, said a police officer. The two were held and brought to Hauz Quazi police station for further investigation.
“As the news of the scuffle spread in the area, locals gathered outside the police station and raised anti-police slogans. But police officers pacified them and asked them to disperse as both parties were submitting complaint against each other,” said a police officer.
At 11.30 p.m. a mob entered Gali Durga Mandir and vandalised the temple. Soon after, a police team rushed to the spot. However, the attackers had managed to flee.
Restoring normalcy
DCP (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa said that altercation and scuffle over the parking issue in Hauz Qazi triggered tension between the two groups of people from different communities.
“We have taken legal action and all efforts are being made to pacify tension and bring peace. People are requested to help in restoring normalcy,” said Mr. Singh.
A senior police officer said that they have registered three FIRs, two cross FIRs against both the parties and a third FIR for vandalising the temple and an attempt to create communal tension in the area.
Meanwhile, Babita Gupta, wife of Sanjeev Gupta said that Mohammaed had parked his scooter outside their house where her husband parks his cart everyday. “My husband asked Mohammaed to remove the scooter but he got agitated and started abusing him. Before leaving, Mohammaed threatened to return and teach him a lesson. He returned with around 15 men and thrashed my husband,” said Ms. Babita.
‘Avoid such incidents’
Locals told that it was a minor issue that could have been dealt amicably but Gupta triggered the fight by abusing and thrashing Mohammaed. “We are living peacefully in the area for the past several generations, and we should avoid getting into fight over petty issues,” said Irshad Ali, an RWA member of Lal Kuan area in Chawri Bazaar.
The police said that they have obtained CCTV footage from the area to identify the miscreants who vandalised the temple. No arrests have been made so far. Security personnel have been deployed to avoid untoward situations.
