Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
A video showing a Delhi Police officer purportedly asking students to vacate hostels and PGs in Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi University’s North Campus area went viral on Tuesday, 24 December. The police officer, in the video, cited “law and order situation” for PGs, restaurants, libraries and coaching centres to remain shut between 25 December and 2 January.
“Law and order situation is weak and Section 144 is imposed in entire Delhi. Don’t spoil your career. Nobody will create nuisance. Nobody will take part in protest or procession,” the police officer is heard as saying.
The video has caused fear and confusion among students on whether they should leave or not.
However, challenging the authenticity of the widely circulated video, Delhi Police on Wednesday, 25 December, claimed that it is “edited”. They even tweeted from their official handle that “there are no such instructions from Delhi Police.”
The Quint has not yet been able to independently verify whether the video was doctored or not. Speaking to The Quint, Additional PRO of Delhi Police Anil Mittal refused to comment on how exactly was the video edited and what the full video contained.
“The video in circulation is edited. The letter that is doing the rounds on social media is fake. We have registered a case against the fake letter.”Anil Mittal, Additional PRO of Delhi Police
“We are getting the video removed from the social media platform,” Vijyanta Arya, Delhi Police DCP North West, told ANI.
However, many students who The Quint spoke with in the Mukherjee Nagar area said the Delhi Police officials had indeed passed on instructions to vacate, owing to an impending “law and order situation”.
WHAT ARE STUDENTS AND PG OWNERS SAYING?
A student living in Mukherjee Nagar told The Quint that two police officers came to their class and said that coaching classes will be closed from 24 December to 2 January.
“We were informed that Mukherjee Nagar is closed, that is why I am going home. Two Delhi Police officers came to classes and said that they will be closed from 24 December to 2 January. They told us that PG, classes and mess are closed.”
On being questioned about why did the police officers ask them to leave, he said, “They did not give proper information. We came to know from friend's circle that last year, on New Year’s eve, some nuisance happened, maybe that's the reason. Mostly all my friends have left for their homes.”
Many students informed that they have to take exams soon but they are being asked to leave for their homes.
“A police official, in front of everybody said that please leave, if you don’t leave, you will spoil your career. Yesterday, around 8:30 pm- 8:45 pm, they came to Indra Vikas and said PG, hostel, libraries are closed. We told them that we have exams but they said that we cannot stay here.”A student told The Quint
The students are planning to approach the police to get clarity on the situation.
Another student told The Quint that on receiving the letter, his PG owner asked them to leave. But after the owner learned that it is 'fake', students were accordingly informed.
Speaking to The Quint, a PG owner said that he saw the letter circulating on social media, and thus contacted the SHO of Mukherjee Nagar. “We were informed that the Delhi Police has not issued any such notice and the claims made in the letter are false. So, we told the students about it.”
He further said that they were asked to tell the local students to go to their houses and let outstation students stay in the PG to avoid trouble on New Year’s eve.
“Since vacations are anyway starting, many students already had plans of leaving for their home town. In my PG, presently, the local students are at their homes, while some outstation students are still there,” the PG owner said.
WHAT DO THE LETTER AND VIDEO SAY?
Besides the video, a letter, too, is viral on social media, making a similar claim that all the PGs and coaching centres will be remain closed from 24 December to 2 January 2020. Although the letter dated Monday, 23 December is purportedly signed by SHO Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi Police’s Additional PRO Mittal called it “fake.”
If any PG or coaching centre is functioning in the aforementioned period, either a fine of Rs 50,000 will be levied or they will be sealed, the letter said.
(This is a developing story and it will be updated as and when we receive more details.)
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