New Delhi, Oct 1 The Delhi High Court has directed the police to provide round-the-clock protection to the family members of a man who is an accused in the Uttam Nagar Holi clash case in which a 26-year-old youth was killed.
On being informed that the house of the accused's family was being violently attacked by some locals including the victim's kin, the court said it was indeed a "serious situation".
"It is indeed a serious situation. Whatever be the legal proceedings pertaining to FIR no. ..., the same are against the son of the petitioner and in the same, law will take its course but the petitioner cannot be left vulnerable and prone to such violence," Justice Girish Kathpalia said.
The high court passed the order on September 30 on a plea by Shahnaz, mother of one of the accused in the clash case, seeking a direction to the police to provide immediate and adequate protection to her and her family.
Her counsel submitted that for the past two days, some of the local residents including the family members of the person who got killed in the Holi clash have been attacking her house quite violently, including by throwing stones and bricks.
The counsel also showed the CCTV footage to the court to support her version.
The police official present in the court assured that immediately and sufficient deployment of police would be done to ensure that no untoward incident takes place again in that area.
"As depicted in the CCTV footage, house of petitioner is in a narrow lane, so it is not difficult to protect the same by deploying police officials in the lane itself. At least till the situation becomes normal, the local police of police station Uttam Nagar shall ensure continuous round the clock deployment of sufficient police personnel in that area, especially in the lane where house of the petitioner exists," the court said.
It asked the police to file a status report within one week along with some reliable documentary record to show sufficient deployment of police in the area and other steps taken to prevent any further violence.
The court listed the matter on October 16.
Several people, including a minor, were apprehended in connection with the death of 26-year-old Tarun in a clash between two neighbouring families with long-standing disputes during Holi celebrations in southwest Delhi's Uttam Nagar.
According to the police, the violence started after water from a balloon thrown by a girl from Tarun's family splashed on a woman from the neighbour's family during Holi celebrations.
