Four days after 26-year-old Tarun Kumar was beaten to death following a dispute over a water-filled balloon during Holi, civic authorities on Sunday (March 8) demolished portions of the residential building belonging to one of the accused in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar area. The action was carried out at JJ Colony with the support of Delhi Police, who maintained heavy security in the locality amid ongoing tensions.
Visuals from the area showed a crane arriving at JJ Colony on Sunday morning as officials began razing parts of a three-storey house linked to one of the accused. Later, workers armed with hammers continued the demolition work. A large police presence was deployed across the locality during the operation to prevent any untoward incident. the action comes a day after Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, during a post on ‘X’ warned of strict action in the matter.
A senior police officer as per a report by Indian Express, said that the demolition was being coordinated with the civic agency as part of action against alleged illegal construction in the area. A formal statement from the civic authority is still awaited.
7 Including Minor Arrested
Seven people, including a minor, were apprehended in the case, police said on Saturday. The action came days after Tarun was beaten up with rods near the corner of his lane after unknowingly walking into a dispute that had erupted earlier between his family and neighbours. He died during treatment the next day. Provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were also added to the FIR on Saturday, police said.
The incident, which took place on March 4, sparked tensions in the area with an angry mob damaging several vehicles and setting them on fire. Protests over the past two days prompted heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel in the area. However, father of the victim demanded a CBI probe on Saturday, alleging that the family was not informed about the progress of the investigation.
“Police told us that five or six people have been arrested. We asked them to show us who had been caught, but they did not do so. I demand a CBI inquiry,” he was quoted as saying to media.
