While the Delhi Police and the Delhi Government have denied that the accused hail from Bangladesh, residents of Vikaspuri in West Delhi claim that 70 per cent of total slum dwellers around the area are from Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the social networking sites were abuzz with rumours painting the murder as a communal incident.
Fourty-year-old Pankaj Narang, a dentist, was beaten to death in West Delhi’s Vikaspuri area on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The incident started when the victim was involved in a quarrel with two men on a motorcycle.
However, users on social media sites such as Twitter twisted the murder into a communal incident and cited Holi to have caused it.
A Twitter user wrote, “Hindu dentist lynched by Muslims for celebrating Holi.”
Another user wrote, “Muslim mob beats a Delhi dentist to death.”
later, Additional DCP-I Monika Bhardwaj took to Twitter to quash the rumours and tweeted, “Among those arrested, five are Hindus. We appeal you to maintain peace.”
The incident has revived the debate on illegal stay of ‘Bangladeshi immigrants’ in the Capital and ‘silence’ of the Delhi Police and Delhi Government on the issue.
Describing his ordeal due to the presence of JJ colonies in Vikaspuri, Narang’s friend Sandeep Barjiyan said, “There were number of times when we had asked the authorities to build three gates across the road restricting entries of local criminals as well as speeding bikers. However, all demands went in vain.”
Barjiyan also said, “Police are trying to suppress the ‘Bangladeshi’ aspect of the incident… Narang was celebrating India’s victory after India vs Bangladesh match on March 23 and that had triggered the attack on Narang.”
Another local, Abhishek said, “The residents of JJ colony are history-sheeters. From small thefts to murders and rape they commit every such crime.”
“Yes, they are Bangladeshis…They don’t let us celebrate Holi and Diwali and many scuffles take place between us and them many a times,” said a local while referring to Kali camp in the area. “These people are backed by Ministers for political advances as they cater to their vote banks,” added the local.
Other locals demanded the verification of their identity as they claimed that the JJ clusters colony residents bear fake voter-ID cards. Besides, a police officer said, “We get number of calls from the locals almost daily complaining about scuffles in Indira Camp — the JJ colony in Krishna Parlk, Vikaspuri.” The officer, on the condition of anonymity, added, “These clusters bear number of drug addicts, thieves and history-sheeters and is a major problem for us.”