Speaking to THE WEEK, Anil Kumar, Additional Public Relations Officer of the Delhi Police, denied reports that 17 had been injured by a car ramming into devotees offering prayers.
“Noone has been injured. [The reports] are factually incorrect and got corrected,” said Anil.
The incident took place in the jurisdiction of Jagat Puri police station, in East Delhi’s Khureji area.
According to the police statement, “In the Khureji area of Shahdara District during the dispersal after Namaz, a Honda City passed through which was being driven rashly. No injury to anyone has been reported so far. There was consternation in the public due to rash driving and they became agitated and gathered at Khureji Chowk. Police acting swiftly dispersed the crowd by persuasion. Amen committee of the area also helped in dispersing the crowd. Situation is peaceful. Legal action is being taken and further investigation is being done.”
Meghna Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) from Shahdara clarified what took place.
“There was a white Honda City car. He was driving very rashly, very recklessly, while people were dispersing after namaz. Since the gully was very congested, people gathered and ran behind the vehicle… there was no injury, nobody is dead, no government property was damaged. Later, 250-300 people came and demanded an FIR. We filed the FIR. We have the vehicle number and are carrying on the investigation,” she said.
Later in the evening, the police released an update about the driver — who they now believe to have been driving a stolen vehicle.
"During the investigation, it has been learnt that the vehicle in question was stolen from the area of Police Station Madhu Vihar on May 30. It is likely that the person driving the vehicle panicked at the idea of being caught," said the police statement.
Millions of Muslims across India celebrated Eid-al-Fitr on Wednesday.
