Two days after nine people from two communities were arrested for rioting in northwest Delhi’s Sangam Park area, police reached out to residents and asked for their help in identifying others involved in rioting. Police also deployed drones in the area to recover bricks and bottles from rooftops. Police said the incident which was triggered after the alleged molestation of a minor girl Saturday evening, took a violent turn the next day after the two groups started to pelt stones and bottles at each other. Police suspect there may be a leader behind the incident. “There was a fight between two communities for two successive days and there is possibility there is a group of people who are behind it. We have asked residents to identify the perpetrators,” said a senior police officer. Till Tuesday, only nine of the many involved in the clashes had been identified and arrested. “The SHO has been assuring us that once we identify and name those suspected of creating trouble, apart from those arrested, no action will be taken against them. But we know that they will be jailed immediately. Those assisting injured men to the hospital were arrested by police though they were innocent. How can we trust police when they have such a poor record,” said a resident. After the drone search, police retrieved bricks and bottles from at least 10 houses in Block B. They were later taken away by police. “We are trying to ascertain when they were stocked - after or before the clashes,” said an officer. However, when asked, JCP (northern range) Sanjay Singh said, “The situation is under control and we are conducting the drone operation to show police presence and instill confidence among the residents.” Around 100 policemen, in separate groups, patrolled the blocks through Tuesday. The JCP, along with DCP (northwest) Vijay Singh, and 20 policemen also held meetings with residents.
