29 people arrested for blocking traffic, damaging police vehicles in Delhi

He later called the nearby slum dwellers who started blocking traffic, police said.Eight police personnel along with Santosh were injured in the incident, they said, adding that police vehicles were also damaged by the crowd of nearly 180 people.The incident took place when Sub Inspector SI Prem Prakash was patrolling with his staff near Prem Bari Pul, police said.According to police, at around 10.30 pm, SI Prakash saw that local residents of AO block in Shalimar Block had gathered on the opposite side near Prem Bari bus stand.

Twenty-nine people were arrested after a scuffle between a group of drug addicts and slum dwellers resulted in heavy traffic jam in north west Delhi's Ashok Vihar, police said on Thursday. The people have been booked under sections of rioting after the crowd pelted stones, damaged police vehicles and blocked traffic, they said. The incident took place Wednesday night when Santosh (23), a resident of Shalimar Bagh, entered into an argument with two to three drug addict boys near Prem Badi bus stand. He later called the nearby slum dwellers who started blocking traffic, police said.

Eight police personnel along with Santosh were injured in the incident, they said, adding that police vehicles were also damaged by the crowd of nearly 180 people.

The incident took place when Sub Inspector (SI) Prem Prakash was patrolling with his staff near Prem Bari Pul, police said.

According to police, at around 10.30 pm, SI Prakash saw that local residents of AO block in Shalimar Block had gathered on the opposite side near Prem Bari bus stand. Meanwhile, a PCR call was also received at Shalimar Bagh police station regarding traffic jam by the residents.

SI Prakash along with the staff immediately rushed towards the spot. District reserves and police force from nearby police stations was also mobilised, a senior police official said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Usha Rangnani said, ''During local enquiry, it came into our notice that a person named Santosh had some quarrel with two-three drug addict boys who were standing near Prem Badi bus stand. He called the local residents who started blocking traffic.

''The police tried to pacify the crowd of 150-180 people but they started to disrupt the flow of traffic and sat down on the road. When police tried to remove them from the road to allow movement of traffic, some of the miscreants resorted to pelting of stones and bottles on passers-by and police personnel,'' she said.

They also tried to set a traffic police motorcycle on fire, but the fire was immediately doused by the police. They also broke glasses of three to four police vehicles, she added.

''The situation was brought under control by resorting to use of mild force and lathicharge. During the incident, Santosh and eight police personnel got injured. All the injured were discharged from the hospital after treatment,'' Rangnani said.

A case has been registered under section 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence commit­ted in prosecution of common object), 307 (attempt to murder), 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Damage to Pubic Property Act in connection with the incident, according to police.

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