While the scars of the Islamist violence that took place on the day of Hanuman Jayanti in Jahangirpuri, Delhi last year have not yet faded away, yet another similar incident was reported from the area late on Thursday (July 20) night. A Hindu hawker named Ram Vilas was mercilessly murdered by an Islamist mob in Jahangirpuri’s C Block area. Besides, stones were also pelted in the area in which some others were also left injured.
दिल्ली के जहांगीरपुरी में एक व्यक्ति की हत्या, विशेष समुदाय के लोगों पर हत्या का आरोप #Delhi #Crime @Nidhijourno @supreetanchor pic.twitter.com/gyMz3yV9fC
— Zee News (@ZeeNews) July 21, 2023
Incidentally, Jahangirpuri’s C Block area, where yesterday’s incident took place, is the same block where Islamists had unleashed terror during the Hanuman Jayanti procession last year.
When the police learned about the communal clash that occurred late on Thursday night, a large number of officers was dispatched to the area to ensure that the situation does not worsen considering that the Jahangirpuri neighbourhood of Delhi is thought to be a communally sensitive area, particularly in light of the widespread communal violence that broke out last year.
Ram Vilas, a street vendor, reportedly got into a small altercation with some local Muslims over where to place his onion cart on the street, and they ended up viciously beating him till he died. According to reports, the Muslim youths ordered Ram Vilas to remove his onion cart from the street corner where he had set it up to do his business that evening. When he refused to comply with their demands, the Muslim youths started beating him up. The accused were soon joined by other people from their community, who also began to viciously assault Ram Vilas.
The victim’s wife, who was with him when he was assaulted, kept pleading for mercy, but the enraged Muslim youths kept hitting Ram Vilas until he started bleeding profusely. Within no time, Ram Vilas collapsed and fell to the ground. The assaulters fled the spot leaving Ram Vilas in a pool of blood.
Some local Hindus picked him up and rushed him to Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, but here the doctors declared him brought dead.
Media reports suggest that prior to assaulting Ram Vilas, these Muslim youths had gotten into a brawl with some members of the Hindu community. The brawl soon turned into a full-fledged communal attack with stones being pelted from both sides. Several people were left injured in this incident.
According to the authorities, it all began when some Muslim youths got into a fight with a Hindu resident named Sanjay when they were raising money for a Tazia procession. The Muslim youths began hitting Sanjay as the argument got heated. Some Hindu youngsters rushed to Sanjay’s defence after spotting the Muslim youths attacking him. Within no time, the Muslim youths were also joined by several other people of their community.
Soon after coming face to face, members of the Muslim and Hindu communities began throwing stones at one another, and the incident which started with a small altercation culminated into a full-fledged communal fight. The incident left many hurt.
Reportedly, it was after this incident, that a group of infuriated Muslim youths approached Ram Vilas and killed him after he refused to give in to their demands.
The deceased’s Ram Vilas’ inconsolable wife told the media how her innocent husband, who was simply selling onions on one corner of the street fell prey to the Islamist rage on the fateful night of Thursday (July 20).
जहांगीर पूरी में बांग्लादेसी घुसपैठियों का आतंक हिंदू राम की पीट पीट कर हत्या।
— Sagar Kumar “Sudarshan News” (@KumaarSaagar) July 21, 2023
सुनिए पीड़ित की पत्नी से।
आख़िर कब तक हिंदुओ की हत्या होती रहेगी…? pic.twitter.com/R5ah8SqAdO
The spine-chilling incident that occurred last night in North Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area, brings back memories of the vicious attack Islamists had unleashed on Hindu Devotees taking out the Shobha Yatra during last year’s Hanuman Jayanti.
The attack on Hanuman Jayanti Shobha Yatra in Jahangirpuri
When the Hanuman Jayanti Shobhayatra was passing through the C block of the Jahangiurpuri, suddenly some people pelted stones on the process from the rooftops in the area. After the attack, the people in the process also started pelting stones at the attackers in retaliation and triggering communal violence in the process.
Several people and police personnel were injured. The police had arrested 40 accused in the case. The Delhi police filed a 2,063-page chargesheet in the case, that stated that the riots were pre-planned. It said that the main conspirators — Mohd. Ansar, 35, Tabrez, 40 and Ishrafil, 50 — “controlled and coordinated the pre-planned conspiracy to orchestrate the riot” and also exerted influence over youths by “radicalising” them to take part in the violence.
Jahangirpuri a hub of rapes, and illegal activities; Rohingyas and Bangladeshis responsible for all crimes here: What locals told OpIndia
OpIndia then talked to locals regarding the violence. H Block resident Dinesh told OpIndia that such incidents were not new for Jahangirpuri.
He said there had been several major incidents in the area that were not even discussed in the media. He told how young boys are seen harassing women. He claimed several Hindu women have been raped in the area and when they try to file a complaint, the Police start harassing them. He further claimed a woman in Jahagirpuri was raped for 15 days some time ago.
He termed the stone-pelting incident on Hindu devotees a conspiracy and said Police personnel have been beaten up several times in Jahangirpuri.
He added small children carry knives and commit crimes in the area. There was an incident where a boy forcefully married a Hindu girl at knifepoint and raped her. He said they have no hopes from the Police and demanded appropriate action against the culprits.
Apart from Dinesh, some local owners of small businesses who were also attacked by the mob of Muslims in this area held the Rohingyas and Bangladeshi Muslims responsible for the crimes that took place in the area. In a video shared by Pradeep Bhandari on Twitter, a local owner of a small shop is seen informing about the atrocities caused by the rioters to the small businesses there.
The shop owner said that they are facing atrocities by the Rohingyas just because they are Hindus.
The communal violence that took place in Jahangirpuri last year brought to light how the neighbourhood has developed over time into a hotspot for illegal immigration, criminal activities, demographic upheaval, and radicalization.
Fact-finding report on Jahangirpuri violence
In fact, a fact-finding report on the Jahangirpuri communal violence had called the area a ‘ticking bomb’ of illegal immigrants, radicalisation, demographic stress and illegal encroachments. The fact-finding was undertaken by the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA).
The report further warned that the area in Jahangirpuri is a crime-prone area due to thriving encroachment and illegal trade. Despite repeated complaints from local people, the local police (in the area) have turned a blind eye to such acts. This is a no-go zone for women. Crimes such as chain and handbag snatching are fairly widespread. People are hesitant to go out after dark.
It read that the local residents reported a major surge of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the area, who have illegally settled here over the course of several years.
