JOIN USLocals clashed with the police in south Delhi on Sunday after the authorities allegedly closed the gate of a religious structure on purpose.
The structure is on a disputed land and its case is pending with the Delhi High Court.
The incident took place in Jor Bagh at 6 pm when locals tried to open the gate of the structure. Police rushed to the spot to take charge of the situation. But a clash with the locals broke out. They had to use teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
Police said they did not use force. “The situation was brought under control soon,” said a senior police officer.
Locals alleged that a police officer had closed the gate and blocked the entry to the religious structure.
This agitated people and they tried to open the gate, said a religious leader who had come from Kolkata to address his followers. He said a teargas shell landed among women, who were sitting on the premises. This almost led to a stampede, he alleged.
Amulya Patnaik, joint commissioner of police (southern range) and Chhaya Sharma, deputy commissioner of police (south), reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Some senior citizens in the area also helped ease the tension.
Para-military personnel were immediately deployed at the area.
Two govt officials jailed
Two government officials were sentenced to two years of imprisonment by a Delhi court for demanding and accepting bribe from a person to mutate in his name a piece of land owned by him but registered in his brother's name.
Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal sentenced Lal Chand, a revenue collection official (tehsildar), posted at sub-divisional magistrate's office at Kalakji and Ashok Kumar Rajput, working earlier as an upper division clerk under him, to two years in jail for demanding and accepting bribe.
The duo were caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) sleuths, while accepting the bribe from complainant Shivraj.