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Police form 2 SIT probes; death toll 38
Kashmir Times. Dated: 2/28/2020 12:54:26 AM
Judge who grilled Delhi Police transferred
NEW DELHI, Feb 27(Agencies): The Delhi Police Thursday transferred the riots probe to Crime Branch and formed two Special Investigation Teams (SITs) while the death toll in the northeast Delhi communal violence over the amended citizenship law rose to 38, according to senior officials.
As per GTB Hospital authorities, 30 deaths have been reported at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, two at LNJP Hospital and one at Jag Parvesh Chandra Hospital. Delhi Police head Constable Ratan Lal was also killed in clashes on Monday. On Wednesday, the death toll was 27. Hospital authorities on Wednesday said of the deceased at the GTB, at least nine received gunshots. One of the deceased is also a woman, authorities said. At the GTB Hospital, many grieving family members were waiting to collect the bodies of their dear ones.
Asked if the victims have been identified, GTB Hospital Medical Superintendent had on Wednesday said, "Many people have been identified, some are yet to be." Patients have several kinds of injuries, including from gunshots, stones and other weapons and many were hurt while jumping from rooftops to escape the rioters, hospital authorities said. The injured recount horrific accounts of violence that they witnessed and how they managed to escape the deadly violence.
The Delhi Police has been accused of not doing enough to contain the violence by the Supreme Court and Delhi high court. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the public to "maintain peace and brotherhood", the Congress party has termed the violence 'pre-planned' and has asked for Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation.
Meanwhile, Delhi High Court judge Justice S Muralidhar, who on Wednesday grilled the centre, the state government and the Delhi Police over the violence in the national capital, has been transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The notification on the transfer was issued around 11 pm on Wednesday night, about two weeks after it was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium on February 12.
Earlier on Wednesday, Justice Muralidhar had said, "We cannot let another 1984-like event happen in this country" and asked the government - at the centre and in Delhi - to work together to combat unrelenting violence that hit parts of the national capital for a fourth consecutive day.
The death count at GTB Hospital has risen to 34.
Till Wednesday night, the total count of casualties had stood at 27, 25 of those at GTB Hospital in Dilshad Garden.
"Over 215 riot victims have been brought to our hospital and treated since February 24. However, at present only 51 patients are admitted. The condition of almost all patients are stable except one," Medical Superintendent of GTB Hospital Sunil Kumar said.
Since February 24, 25 victims have been brought dead at GTB Hospital and nine have died during treatment, he said.
One person was declared brought dead by doctors, while another had died during treatment at the LNJP Hospital on Wednesday.
"One more death at LNJP Hospital was recorded on Thursday. One fatality was reported at Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital on Thursday, taking the total death toll to 38," a senior official said.
Over 50 patients have been provided treatment at the LNJP Hospital since the violence broke out on Sunday in various parts of northeast Delhi, officials at the hospital said.
Post-mortems have been conducted on nearly 15 victims, officials said.
The central government and Delhi Police today asked the high court for more time to file First Information Reports (FIRs) for hate speeches that allegedly incited violence in the national capital, triggering clashes over controversial citizenship law that killed at least 38 and injured over 200 this week.