Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav visited slums near Sectors 58 and 70 Saturday and encouraged people to carry on with their daily activities without fear. As per a statement from the administration, he assured residents of the area that they need not be afraid. DC Yadav said the Rapid Action Force is deployed at various locations in the district, and that the Haryana Police is arresting anti-social elements. So far, 51 persons have been arrested in 29 FIRs, and preventive action has been taken against 62 people to maintain peace, said police. The DC mentioned that the district administration and police are holding regular meetings with representatives of various societies and domestic help workers to ensure their safety. During the visit, DC Yadav also advised people to immediately inform the administration and the nearest police station if someone threatens them, so appropriate legal action can be taken, the statement said. The Indian Express later spoke to residents of the slums. One of them, Wasim (32), who hails from Kolkata and does housekeeping work at an apartment complex, said, “. there are many Bengali Muslims here, so all of us are living in fear.” Rohiddul from Nadia said he came to Gurgaon 15 days ago for work but has now decided to go back. “I’m leaving Sunday morning. it’s better to go back now,” he said. He said he had a cleaning job at a flat nearby for five years but had gone home some months ago. He said he suffers from jaundice and this hastened his decision to leave. Muskan, who works as a domestic help, said many labourers were asked by their employers not to come to work till the violence subsided. She also claimed they saw a man on a bike getting thrashed on the road by 4-5 men. “They asked him what his name and address was. They then asked for his Aadhaar. When he refused, they snatched his phone and checked it. They must have found he was Muslim as they beat him up. When police came to the spot, they fled.,” she said, adding that the incident made many wary of staying back. “No one helped us when these things were happening. The administration came to check on us today, but before this, there was no support,” she claimed. Abir (26), who hails from Medinipur, said he is considering going home. “I was here for a year and went back home last year. I returned two months ago. Six days ago, things went wrong. I saw two people being mercilessly beaten up by groups of men who had their faces covered. After this, I cannot imagine living here peacefully,” he said. An officer at Sector 65 police station said he was not aware of incidents of assault in Sector 58.
