14 arrested for rioting in south Delhi

NEW DELHI: Fourteen people were arrested on charges of rioting in a south Delhi locality after a mob went on the rampage torching police posts and attacking people following allegations that men in uniform misbehaved with hawkers selling copies of a holy book.

Twenty-two people, including 15 police personnel, were injured after clashes erupted in Jamia Nagar area on Saturday night after the mob set ablaze two police posts. Police fired in the air after bursting tear gas shells and a baton charge failed to quell them.

A number of vehicles, including two police gypsies and ten motorcycles, were damaged in the violence.

"Two cases of rioting were registered in New Friends Colony and Sarita Vihar police stations in south Delhi following violence and 14 men were arrested in this connection," a senior police official said.

The arrested have been identified as Imran, Salman, S Alam, Parvesh Alam, A Alvi, Shaheed, M Wazi, M Nazim, Maqsood, Zakir, Mustaqeen, Arif, Riyasat and M Javed.

Trouble began at around 8 P.M. near Batla house area on Saturday night after some policemen reached there following a telephone call that encroachments on road were creating traffic chaos.

The hawkers entered into an altercation with police after some copies of the holy book fell on the ground, which angered the locals who pelted stones at Jamia police post and set it afire. Another group also set on fire a police post in Shahidabad.

A large number of police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain law and order, the official said adding the situation in the locality was peaceful.