Delhi violence: HC tells police to ensure safe passage of injured, toll rises to 18

The death toll in the northeast Delhi violence climbed to 24 on Wednesday and at least 250 were injured. Most of the victims, including a Head Constable, died of bullet injuries. (In pic: A shop in West Jyoti Nagar set on fire.) (Express photo: Sourav Roy Barman)

The High Court has told the Delhi Police it should not wait for a court's order and should take action on its own. (Express photo: Gajendra Yadav)

For three days starting Sunday, the national capital witnessed violence as groups of young men roamed parts of northeast Delhi with rods and sticks, setting ablaze homes and shops owned by Muslims. (Express photo: Praveen Khanna)

It was only on Tuesday that 67 companies of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in the area to bring it under control. According to the police, around 20 people have been detained for the violence. (Express photo: Praveen Khanna)

Shoot-at-sight orders have been issued for some parts of Northeast Delhi. (Express photo: Praveen Khanna)

Meanwhile, in an unprecedented midnight hearing, the Delhi High Court ordered immediate evacuation of the injured from Mustabafad’s Al-Hind Hospital after a group of doctors from various hospitals sought police protection for ambulances. (Express photo: Praveen Khanna)

At 12.30 am this morning, in the dead of the night, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited the riot-hit area. This, hours after a sit-in protest against the citizenship law led by women under the Jafrabad metro station was cleared by officials. (Express photo: Praveen Khanna)

Incidents of stone pelting and arson occurred again on Tuesday at Mauzpur-Babbarpur metro area in northeast Delhi. (Express photo: Amit Mehra)

Vehicles were set on fire outside a petrol station, at Gokulpuri after violence in the Jaffrabad area. (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)

Violence continued unabated in Maujpur area of northeast Delhi on Tuesday, with two groups of people out on the road armed with rods and sticks. Security personnel tried to disperse the people from both sides who resorted to stone-pelting. (Express photo: Amit Mehra)

Locals said mobs rioted inside interior lanes and bylanes in residential areas, while the security personnel were deployed only on the main road, which leads to Bhajanpura, Rohini one side and Loni, Ghaziabad via Gokalpuri flyover on the other. (Express photo: Gajendra Yadav)

Police hold flag march at Khajuri Khaas. (Source: Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the affected areas. An armed battalion of Delhi Police, comprising around 1,000 personnel, is being deployed in violence-hit areas of the capital.

Over 150 people have been injured the ongoing clashes in northeast Delhi. (In picture: Violence occurred at Babarpur area) (Express photo: Gajendra Yadav)

"There is hardly any police presence in the area. Rioters are running around threatening people, vandalising shops. The law and order situation is extremely bad. Families need to be evacuated. We are unsafe in our own homes," PTI quoted a resident of Maujpur.(Express photo: Amit Mehra)