Investigation into violence during protests against the new citizenship law at New Friends Colony on December 15 has revealed that several videographers deployed by Delhi Police at the spot failed to capture protesters “turning violent and indulging in stone pelting”, as has been claimed by police in their FIR. The December 15 protests had spiralled into violence after a section of protesters, including both Jamia Millia Islamia students and local residents, tried to march to Parliament but were stopped by police at Mathura Road. As a section of protesters started pelting stones and set buses and private vehicles on fire, police retaliated with lathi-charge and eventually stormed the campus. Of late, police have tasked some videographers with taking videos of such protests so they have evidence if things go out of hand. Last week, all cases filed in the matter were handed over to the special investigation team. “The SIT was surprised to learn that there was not a single video or photo showing people pelting stones or setting buses on fire. There are some videos and photographs taken from people’s phones and police are now scanning footage of CCTV cameras in the area. They are also examining raw footage from TV channels,” police sources said. “While scanning videos recorded by hired videographers, the SIT found that they have footage of protesters climbing police barricades. Videos also show injured police personnel and buses and private vehicles on fire, but not the culprits,” sources said. Meanwhile, the SIT has arrested three more persons on charges of damaging public property and rioting. “Mohammed Rana (35), Mohammed Haroon (36) and Mohammed Hamid (38) are residents of Taimoor Nagar and were arrested in separate cases,” a senior officer said. The SIT made the arrest with the help of local police constables, who confirmed their identity using several mobile videos. “In two FIRs filed in connection with the violence at Jamia Nagar and New Friends Colony, police have so far arrested 16 persons for alleged rioting, damage to public property and assaulting police personnel. None of the men are students of the university,” an officer said.
