National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, along with Delhi police chief Amulya Patnaik, toured the violence-hit areas of Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Gokulpuri and Bhajanpur late on Tuesday night, reports claimed. The NSA reviewed security arrangements, deployment of police personnel in North-East Delhi and discussed ways to restore normalcy in the region, sources told ANI.
His visit comes in the aftermath of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's third meeting, which lasted for hours, with ministry officials and the Delhi police.
The death toll in northeast Delhi communal violence over the amended citizenship law rose to 17 on Wednesday, according to GTB Hospital authorities. On Tuesday, the death toll was 13. Four bodies were brought to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, taking the death toll to 17, a senior official said.
After overnight incidents of arson, tension smouldered in the national capital and as the day progressed streets in several localities like Chand Bagh, Bhajanpura, Gokulpuri, Maujpur, Kardampuri and Jaffrabad saw pitched battles between the members of two groups who also hurled petrol bombs and opened fire.
Late in the night, locals in Maujpur area claimed that announcements were being made by police on loudspeakers about promulgation of shoot-at-sight orders, but Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Ved Prakash Surya denied it.
Over 200 people, including 48 police personnel, have been injured and half of the civilians have suffered gunshot wounds, hospital authorities said.
The violence, which started on Sunday after anti-CAA protests blocked a road outside Jaffrabad Metro station and BJP leader Kapil Mishra called a gathering in favour of CAA, intensified on Tuesday, despite shored up security in the city in view of US President Donald Trump's visit.
The protesters withdrew from the site on Tuesday night.
-Inputs from PTI
