'Shahrukh Threatened To Shoot Me From Point-Blank': Delhi Police Head Constable Deepak Dahiya

One of the moving moments of the recent communal riots in northeast Delhi over the amended citizenship law was how Delhi Police Head Constable Deepak Dahiya took on a rioter, identified as Shahrukh, brandishing a pistol in Maujpur on Monday. Shahrukh allegedly fired eight rounds of bullets.

The cop said the safety of the public was the only thing on his mind when he confronted the Shahrukh and even dared him to take a shot at him. A video of Dahiya confronting a mob led by Shahrukh went viral on social media. Shahrukh rushed towards Dahiya and threatened to shoot him from point-blank range but he remained calm and urged him to back off.

While speaking to news agency ANI, Dahiya said his parents got scared when they saw the pistol was pointed at him by Shahrukh. But they understand it’s his job they are proud of him.  

“I was deployed in Maujpur, where a peaceful protest was going on. Suddenly, a mob turned aggressive from the other end. We had been trying to convince them. When I heard the sound a bullet fire, I came to this side and saw one person brandishing a pistol running towards me. I then dared with a police baton. This made him divert his mind. I further tried dare to him. Then he fired one round on his right side and retuned,” Dahiya told news agency ANI.

Also Read | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Announces Immediate Relief Of Rs 25,000 To Violence Victims

“My father has appreciated my bravery and told me to keep doing a work like this,” the police personnel said. On Thursday, the Delhi Police said Shahrukh is yet to be taken into custody. A senior official in the Delhi Police said that they were conducting raids to nab Shahrukh.

According to The Indian Express, a police official said that the father of Shahrukh is a local drug peddler and has been incarcerated many times for his activity. He is believed to be a relative of criminal Irfan alias Chhenu Pehalwan, who is already in jail.

On Friday, the death count in Delhi's communal violence has gone up to 42 now with four more fatalities being recorded at the city's GTB Hospital, officials said. The number stood at 38 till Thursday. The Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital has recorded 38 deaths, the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash hospital three, and the Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital has reported one.

Nearly 7,000 paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the affected areas of the northeast district since Monday to assist hundreds of Delhi police men and women to maintain peace. More than 250 people have been injured in the communal clashes. The areas mainly affected include Jafrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh, Khureji Khas and Bhajanpura.

(With PTI inputs)