Amit Shah summons Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik over Chawri Bazar violence

Days after communal clashes in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar area, Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik was summoned  by Union Home Minister Amit Shah today. Though news agency ANI reported that ‘Patnaik was reprimanded by Shah’, Delhi top cop said that it was a simple briefing. After meeting Shah, Patnaik told media that, “I have briefed him about the situation. Things are now normal in the Hauz Qazi area. Four people have been arrested.” According to Delhi Police, one of the accused has ‘previous involvement in two cases of snatching and Arms Act.’ A minor is also among those arrested by the Delhi Police. 

Tiff over parking ballooned into a major law and order situation in Old Delhi’s Hauz Qazi area. So far, following is the sequence of events that has been validated by both the police and the locals. On Sunday, two men had a fight over car parking. The argument snowballed into a major incident after the man, who had parked his car, attacked the other person. He had allegedly called in many ‘friends’. The home-owner then called the police to intervene. The cops whisked away the car-owner to the nearby police station. The man’s friends gheraoed the police station and demanded his release. From here on the trail of events become foggy. Some reports say that angry over police inaction, the group raised slogans and allegedly vandalised a 100-year-old temple inside one of the bylanes of Hauz Qazi area.

Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan, who is also an MP from Chandni Chowk, visited the spot and reviewed security situation. He said police will take necessary actions. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia appealed to people to believe in rumours and maintain peace. "Delhi will win and hatred will lose." Former Union Minister Vijay Goel, who has represented the Chandni Chowk constituency twice, accused the AAP for using the incident for political gains

Who is Amulya Patnaik?

Patnaik is a 1985 batch Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre IPS officer. He succeeded Alok Kumar Verma, who became the CBI chief on January 19. Patnaik is also credited for launching special units to prevent crimes against women such as the anti-obscene calls cell and anti-stalking cell. Among some prominent cases that Patnaik handled are the parcel bomb case, the sensational Sarita Vihar kidnapping and the busting of the notorious Asghar gang. He has also been credited with planning and managing the security of the lone train journey undertaken by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003. Patnaik is a recipient of the President’s Police Medal for distinguished service and police medal for meritorious service.