Traffic restrictions eased as anti-rape protests calm down
Police eased traffic restrictions at India Gate and Raisina Hill but did not lift prohibitory orders even as protests over the gang-rape of a girl calmed down.
|Last Updated: Dec 26, 2012, 01:03 PM IST|Source: Bureau
New Delhi: Police on Wednesday eased traffic restrictions at India Gate and Raisina Hill but did not lift prohibitory orders even as protests over the gang-rape of a girl calmed down.
Questions were also raised over the cause of a constable`s death during demonstrations.
A journalism student Yogendra, who claimed to be an eye-witness, contradicted police version that Constable Subhash Tomar was beaten up by protesters leading to his death, saying he fell down on his own.
The Delhi police declined to be drawn into the controversy with its spokesperson Rajan Bhagat saying "no comments till the post-mortem report is out".
Yesterday, Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar had said that Tomar had suffered internal injuries in his neck, chest and stomach and were waiting for the post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of his death. Tomar died last morning.
Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party demanded sacking of Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, alleging that police were misleading people by arresting eight "innocent youth" in connection with the incident.
Doctors at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital said the Constable had no major external injury marks when he was brought to the hospital and that he had suffered a heart attack.
"I was at India Gate with a female friend who was injured. I saw one policeman who was running after protesters and then suddenly collapsing. We rushed towards him and some policemen were also there. Suddenly, the policemen started running after other protesters.”
"So I rushed to a nearby PCR van. They took him to hospital. I also went in the same vehicle. I saw him in hospital and his body didn`t have any injuries. He wasn`t trampled by a mob, he wasn`t assaulted. The claims of police are false. I am surprised to hear that eight were arrested over Subhash Tomar`s death," he claimed.
Traffic was smooth as police lifted restrictions near India Gate and Raisina Hill, which witnessed violent weekend protests. Nine Metro stations, which were closed since Sunday morning, were reopened for public from last evening.
Reacting to Yogendra`s claims, Kejriwal said his account was opposite of what police said. "Is police lying?" he asked. AAP leader Yogendra Yadav also alleged that the TV
footage showed opposite of what the police were saying.
"Police claim the rioters had hit him, he was trampled upon by protestors and this is why he collapsed. The footage showed he collapsed on his own. The evidence is in the public domain, it suggests the contrary," he said.
AAP chief spokesperson Manish Sisodia alleged police were "politicising" Tomar`s death to cover their mistakes and demanded that Kumar be sacked.
"The Delhi police should have dealt with the matter with sensitivity and honoured the constable`s death. But, the police have politicised the death to cover their own mistakes. We feel that the Delhi police are involved in a conspiracy. The police commissioner should be sacked," he said.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.