NEW DELHI: The nallahs or drains which run through the northeast district of the national capital have now become the spot where bodies of victims are being fished out. On Sunday, four corpses were found in the drains of Shiv Vihar and Chand Bagh taking the total number of such bodies to eight, according to the police. IB staffer Ankit Sharma’s body was also retrieved from the drain in Chand Bagh area.
While Karawal Nagar, Chand Bagh have separate drains, one drain flows from Shiv Vihar passing through Gokalpuri, Maujpur, Jaffrabad and ending at Seelampur. The Karawal Nagar and Chand Bagh drains meet the Gokalpuri drain at Bhagirathi Vihar. This reporter visited the drain bordering Gokalpuri and found the bank teeming with garbage. However, the heavily polluted water could be seen flowing. Brothers Aamir and Hashim who were on their way to meet their family at Gokalpuri were killed and thrown in the Bhagirathi Vihar drain.
The locals were hesitant to talk at first but agreed on the condition of anonymity. “The children were the first to notice the corpses. A huge crowd had gathered as soon as the news spread. I saw the bodies yesterday. They were floating face down and looked swollen,” recounted a resident at Gokalpuri.
Another local added, “When I reached, the police was already following the bodies coming from Shiv Vihar side. They didn’t step in and waited for labourers to go inside drain and take the bodies out,” another local noted. However, on being asked if anyone had seen bodies being dropped in the nallah, the locals immediately refused. “No bodies were dumped here. This is a peaceful area. The corpses came flowing from Chand Bagh and Shiv Vihar. Gokalpuri has limited Muslim residents who all have left this colony last week,” said a resident.
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The nallah at Chand Bagh – one of most affected areas— is in an even worse condition, with the smell of putrid waters filling the air. “It is impossible for a body to flow down to Gokalpuri or for that matter any other part of this area. The drain is filled with filth, garbage and plastic,” said Akram Hussain, who lives in Chand Bagh.
“All bodies may not necessarily be of riot victims. Someone could have committed murder owing to an internal feud and tossed the body here. Now that the police are looking for missing people, they are coming across corpses. Only post mortem reports can provide clarification,” Wasim Raza from same locality claimed. The nallah at Shiv Vihar was found to be in a similar state but with a higher water level. Suleiman, from Shiv Vihar, who is now living in a relief camp said several families are still missing people. “Shiv Vihar is in ashes. More bodies will come out from the drain there”