JOIN USRamlila Maidan probe starts
The herculean task before the central Delhi police team to identify policemen as well as protesters, who were involved in a clash during the midnight crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his followers at Ramlila Maidan, has begun in full swing.
A special team comprising dozens of police personnel under direct supervision of additional commissioner of police of central district, Devesh Srivastav is probing the matter. The team is questioning supporters and policemen in groups.
Hundreds of people and policemen have been questioned after the Supreme Court order in February to probe the role of policemen who had fired teargas shells and used lathi.
Members of Bharat Swabhiman Trust were quizzed on Sunday at Kamla Market police station.
They were asked to identify errant cops and the yoga guru’s followers who indulged in violence.
“They have also been asked to provide address of a few followers,” said a senior police officer.
Finding the errant among a group of 10,000 followers and around 5,000 followers os not an easy task.
Finding, the errant people and policemen from the crowd of 10,000 followers and around 5000 policemen – who were present during the late-night crackdown on Ramdev – is massive task for the police force.
The team is scanning various closed circuit television footage and media clippings, said a senior police officer.
The police had registered a case against ‘unknown Delhi Police officers’ for acts endangering life or safety of others after the apex court verdict. The SHO of Kamla Market police station is the ‘complainant’ in the case, registered under section 336 of Indian Penal Code.
Earlier, the Delhi Police had also registered a case against followers of Ramdev who damaged public property and indulged in unlawful activity.
Police said they will abide by the Supreme Court order.
Midnight crackdown
On the intervening night of June 4 and 5 yog guru, Baba Ramdev was taken out of Ramlila grounds in a crackdown by police and dismantled the stage at his protest venue, hours after the Centre accused the yoga guru of reneging on a deal to call off his fast.
It was a battle between 5,000 police perssonel and 10,000 Ramdev supporters that finally ended with the yoga guru’s detention and eviction of his supporters from the ground during the wee hours.
Police claimed to have received intelligence input that there was a threat to the yoga guru’s life, had first asked Ramdev to leave the ground at 1 am but then police forcefully evicted him and his followers in which many were left injured.
One of his supporters Raj Bala, who had suffered spinal injuries during the incident died in September last year.