Don’t blame me,can’t recall: Man whose fall started it all

Soon after the incident,rumour spread that police pushed Kamaruddin off his scooter and he died after a car hit him from behind. This triggered mob violence in the area.

Khan on Monday said he came to know about the violence from television and newspapers.

He told police that he does not remember what happened after the accident.

Police have not registered any case against him.

“During questioning,he admitted that he was drunk and had an altercation with the policeman at the picket. He said he had no idea that an accident would trigger such a riot,” a senior police officer said.

His wife,Khasna Bano,said he left home around 3 pm on Sunday to buy groceries from Mayur Vihar.

“Since then,he has not returned home. I tried to contact him on his phone,but it was switched off. This morning,one of his friends,who had gone with him,told us that he is in hospital. We went to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital,but we could not find his name on the hospital record books,” she said.

Police later contacted Khan’s family and summoned them to New Ashok Nagar police station.

“Police have told us that he will be released tomorrow. They assured us that no case has been registered against him. He told me that he fell from his bike,after which he fell unconscious,” Bano said.

Residents of the area alleged that the violence was the result of pent-up anger against police for “their high-handedness at the picket”.

“When the rumour spread that a man has died at the police checkpoint,it tok no time for a mob to gather and turn violent,” an eyewitness said.