A Delhi Police investigation into the violence during protests against the amended Citizenship Act at Delhi’s New Friends Colony on 15 December has revealed that three bullets were fired by two police personnel in front of an ACP-rank officer, The Indian Express reported.
This is mentioned in the case diary prepared by the Southeast district police officials, The Indian Express reported.
Earlier, Delhi Police had claimed that not a single bullet was fired by them during the protests, after reports had emerged that the Jamia Millia Islamia University students were treated for gunshot wounds.
Multiple buses were torched and instances of stone-pelting reported as protesters, including both Jamia Millia Islamia students and local residents, had clashed with the police in south Delhi on 15 December. The police had lathicharged students and used tear gas shells during the fracas. Several students and police officers were injured.
After the protest, two students of Jamia Millia Islamia, identified as Ajaz Ahmad (20) and Mohammed Shoaib (23), were admitted at Safdarjung Hospital. Another student, identified as Mohd Taimin (23), was admitted to Holy Family Hospital.
All the three students had alleged that they had received bullet injuries and their claims were also recorded in the hospital’s MLC (medico-legal case) reports.
‘Fired in Self Defence’
Following the 15 December clashes, police personnel from the Southeast district were asked by senior officers whether any of them had fired bullets. All of police officers said they hadn’t, according to The Indian Express sources.
However, a contradictory video went viral, showing two Delhi police personnel firing in the presence of a senior officer.
“The Southeast district police identified the personnel as well as the ACP, and it was confirmed that firing had, in fact, taken place,” a source told The Indian Express.
The police personnel had reportedly said they fired in “self-defence.”
While their statements were then recorded in the case diary, there was no mention of it in the two FIRs filed in connection with the case.
The specific case diary is yet to be handed over to the Crime Branch SIT, which took over the investigation on 16 December.
DCP Biswal on Saturday, refused to comment on the firing as the investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, all the three Jamia students have been discharged from the hospitals, and the SIT is likely to approach them in the coming days to record their statements.
(With inputs from The Indian Express.)
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