The death toll due to the ongoing violence in northeast Delhi has climbed to 20 after five people were brought dead to the Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital in Shahdara on Wednesday morning.

Four bodies were brought to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital on Wednesday morning, taking the death toll to 17, news agency ANI reported. Minutes later, the news agency said that the death toll has increased to 20. On Tuesday, the death toll was 13. 

Medical Superintendent Sunil Kumar had earlier said that 50% of those injured have sustained bullet injuries.

The 20 killed include Delhi Police head constable Ratan Lal. Vinod Kumar, a resident of Ghonda, was brought dead to the hospital on Tuesday.

Also killed was Mohammad Furkan from Kardampuri, near Jafrabad, who got married in 2014 and has two children.

As many as 13 causalities were reported till Tuesday in communal violence, which started on Sunday, as police struggled to check the rioters who ran amok on streets, burning and looting shops, pelting stones and thrashing people.

Tension smouldered in Delhi as streets in several localities like Chand Bagh, Bhajanpura, Gokulpuri, Maujpur, Kardampuri and Jaffrabad saw pitched battles between the members of two groups who also hurled petrol bombs and opened fire.

Late in the night, locals in Maujpur claimed that announcements were being made by police on loudspeakers about promulgation of shoot-at-sight orders, but Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Ved Prakash Surya denied it.

HOW DID VIOLENCE START

The violence started on Sunday after anti-CAA protests blocked a road outside Jaffrabad Metro station and BJP leader Kapil Mishra called a gathering in favour of CAA.

In scenes not seen in the national capital for decades, frenzied groups thrashed people on the road and vandalised vehicles. Mediapersons were also attacked.

Police fired teargas shells to disperse the rioters -- armed with stones, rods and even swords and many wearing helmets to protect themselves -- and was assisted by paramilitary personnel.

Streets were littered with mangled remains of vehicles, bricks and burnt tyres, mute testimony to the violence and bloodshed that took on a communal taint on Monday.

Source: India Today

BDST: 1135 HRS, FEB 26, 2020
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