On Friday, April 22, sources in the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch, investigating the attack on Hanuman Jayanti Shobha Yatra in Jahangirpuri, Delhi on April 16, revealed that the attack was pre-planned by the prime accused Mohammed Ansar Sheikh. As per a report in Live Hindustan, Ansar had allegedly organised a meeting seven days before Hanuman Jayanti to execute the attack on the Shobha Yatra that would be held on that day.
Ansar, residing in Jahangirpuri’s C block, is allegedly the area’s Muslim leader. When the procession arrived near the Masjid, he is said to have started an argument, and when the discourse turned heated, the procession came under a violent attack.
According to privy to the probe, Ansar had convened a meeting with 30 people, including a few juveniles, at Kushal Chowk in Jahangirpuri a week before the attack where it was decided how they would block the procession. The accused were communicating through WhatsApp call to avoid being recorded.
“Red colour stones were assembled by the accused on the rooftop of several houses. It was all pre-planned. The accused later washed the whole roof. It was done in a bid to destroy the evidence,” an India TV report stated citing sources in the Delhi Police crime branch.
Meanwhile, one Suresh, who was pulling the procession chariot when it was attacked by a mob of fanatics, also claimed that Ansar was leading the demonstration and inciting the mob to attack them. He said Ansar pushed him and demanded that the procession be stopped.
Furthermore, following the incident, various videos surfaced online wherein the victims of the Jahangirpuri violence are heard saying that the attack was indeed a pre-planned one. They described how lathis and arms were amassed by the rioters.
In fact, the Delhi Police had also obtained CCTV footage from the Jahangirpuri area, where a Hanuman Jayanti procession was attacked on April 16. Some people could be seen gathering sticks in the clip the day before the incident.
The CCTV video was recorded somewhere around 2 AM on the 15th of April in Jahangirpuri. In the video, 4-5 young men can be seen gathering sticks from the streets in the neighbourhood. There appears to be opposition as well from the locals, which subsequently escalated into a minor skirmish.
Jahangipuri violence mastermind Ansar Sheikh has close links with TMC
Earlier in the day, OpIndia reported how West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had said that Ansar Sheikh is close to the Trinamool Congress party, and is actively involved in the acts of political violence by the TMC goons. Prior to this, both BJP and AAP alleged that Jahangirpuri violence masterminding Ansar Sheikh is a member of the other party.
The BJP leader said on Thursday that Ansar regularly visits Haldia in West Bengal, and alleged that Ansar was involved in the attack on his car after the assembly elections last year.
West Bengal BJP leaders have said that Ansar Sheikh has close links with Sheikh Ajijul Rahman, TMC councillor from Ward No 15 in Haldia municipality. Photographs have also emerged showing them together, one of them showing Ansar placing his hand on Ajijul’s shoulder.
However, TMC has denied any links with Ansar Sheikh. Ajijul Rahman also said that he knows Ansar as a local resident, but denied any political links.
It is notable that Ansar Sheikh owns a luxurious mansion in Haldia, the industrial town in East Midnapore district, and he frequently visits the place as alleged by the state BJP. Reportedly, Delhi Police have already started to probe his Bengal links in the case.
