May 10, 2009 12:30:16 am
Several policemen and locals were injured when residents of Lal Kuan in Sangam Vihar,Southeast Delhi,attacked a police team after a resident died in an accident on Saturday morning,the police said.
At least 21 policemen,including the station house officers of Sangam Vihar,Okhla and Ambedkar Nagar police stations,were injured in the clash. Head Constable Shameen Akhtar of Sangam Vihar police station,received severe head injuries and is in ICU at AIIMS, DCP (Southeast) Shalini Singh said.
Police officials said nine residents received minor injuries.
According to police,Suraj Verma,42,was sitting on a wall opposite the Tughlaqabad Fort when a truck coming from the Inland Container Depot overturned and crushed him.
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The police said the driver was speeding and lost control while trying to avoid a vehicle coming from the opposite direction. The driver and the cleaner abandoned the truck and fled, an officer said.
Verma lived in the slums adjacent to the fort; locals said he was a tailor. Residents alleged the incident took place around 6.30 am and the police arrived very late,which led to Vermas death. The police claimed they were not allowed to take Vermas body to the hospital. We told his relatives we needed to take his body for postmortem, the officer said,but residents,including the victims family,did not let us to take the body. By then scores of people had arrived they started shouting slogans against the police and then pelted us with stones.
The officer claimed the police team used the baton after appeals to the crowd to calm down failed. But several alleged the police opened fire on them while they demonstrating peacefully. Vermas wife Heera Devi said,The police beat me and my daughters with batons.
The police denied this; officers alsosaid no bullets were fired that only lathis were used.
Senior officers,including DCP Shalini Singh,had to pacify the crowd later and assure them that the accused would be arrested soon. A case has been lodged against the absconding driver. A separate case of rioting has been registered against unknown people.
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