Tension prevails in Seelampur, prohibitory orders imposed

Tension prevailed in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur area, which witnessed violence on Tuesday (December 17) following protest over the Citizenship Amendment Act, even as police maintained a tight vigil to ensure that the situation remained under control.

Officials on Wednesday said prohibitory orders have been imposed in northeast Delhi as a precautionary measure. Under the orders, assembly of four or more people is prohibited.

According to locals, there was underlying tension in the area after protests turned violent, which saw agitators pelting stones and vandalising and torching vehicles on Tuesday. Police were patrolling the area to ensure situation remains peaceful. Six arrests have been made so far, police said.

Three FIRs were registered in Seelampur, Jafrabad and Dayalpur police stations in connection with Tuesdays incident. Five persons were arrested for Seelampur and Jafrabad incidents, while one was arrested late night for the Dayalpur incident. Police took 18 persons into preventive custody.

According to police, the men were taken into preventive custody since there was a possibility of them indulging in mischief. Angry protesters demanding scrapping of the amended citizenship law had torched several motor bikes, pelted stones at police personnel and damaged buses and a police booth in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur area on Tuesday afternoon. Police had fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. Plumes of smoke billowed from at least two localities as the standoff continued for around one-and-a-half hours.