Riots one-sided and well-planned: Minorities panel on deadly Delhi violence

NEW DELHI: Over 2,000 outsiders occupied two schools for 24 hours and indulged in rioting in northeast Delhi, the Delhi Minorities Commission said on Wednesday.

The minorities panel termed the communal violence as “one-sided and well-planned”, stating that maximum damage had been inflicted on Muslim houses and shops.

Its chairman Zafarul Islam Khan and member Kartar Singh Kochhar, who visited the violence-affected areas on Monday and interacted with people, said police should be held accountable for use of schools by rioters.

“How did the goons reach this place? A mob of 2,000 was allowed to stay for more than 24 hours and execute its plans,” Islam said.

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The panel also termed the compensations by the Delhi government as “inadequate”. The two schools allegedly used by the rioters — Rajdhani Public School run by Faisal Farooq and DRP Convent School run by Pankaj Sharma — are located in Shiv Vihar and share a wall.

At Rajdhani School, driver Raj Kumar told the commission that 500 people wearing helmets barged into the premises at around 6.30 pm on February 24.

“They had arms and giant catapults which they used to throw petrol bombs from the rooftop to other houses across the road,” a statement by the panel said.

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At DRP School, guard Roop Singh told the commission that 1,500-plus people stayed there for over 24 hours. He and his family slipped away through a rear door to save themselves. 

‘Goons got help from locals’ 

Rajdhani School shared a photo of the mob which had occupied it with the panel, showing the goons wore helmets to and cover their faces.

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The panel indicated that the rioters used to go out in small trucks in shifts of 2-3 hours each time to carry out looting and arson. They had locals helping them, it said.