In west Delhi, as many as 481 panic calls were made to the police control room between 7 pm and midnight
Highlights
- Intel agencies studying calls after Sunday's panic in Delhi
- Delhi Police submits report on Sunday's panic to Home Ministry
- Don't believe in rumours, Delhi Police had said
After panic in certain localities in Delhi on Sunday evening over reports of fresh clashes following last week's violence over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Delhi Police and intelligence agencies are analysing calls made to its control room in the last 24 hours to zero in on mischief-makers. The violence in northeast Delhi last week left 46 people dead and hundreds injured.
Delhi Police has submitted a report on Sunday's events to the Union Home Ministry.
In west Delhi alone, as many as 481 panic calls were made to the police control room (PCR) between 7 pm and midnight, in a span of five hours. There are 12 police stations in west Delhi.
Most of these calls - 148 - came from the Tilak Nagar area, followed by 143 calls from the limits of Khayala police station.
The police received calls from other areas such as Rajouri Garden (96), Punjabi Bagh (26), Hari Nagar (24), Moti Nagar (17) and Janakpuri (11).
All the callers had claimed there was communal tension in their areas.
"All of them turned out to be bogus calls. But panic seem to have gripped the city," a senior police officer said. According to him, the panic started at around 7 pm when the police raided a gambling racket at a local market in wet Delhi's Khayala.
"People present there started running, which created panic in the area. Some said that some fired at the police. Some channels even flashed that gamblers threw stones at the police. Both turned out to be fake narratives," the officer said.
While 28 police calls were made in north Delhi, 222 police calls were made in in outer Delhi. All of them were found to be bogus.
On Sunday evening, the police urged people not to believe in rumours circulating on social media and said they have detained some people for spreading rumours. Amid reports of fresh violence, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had shut the entry and exit gates of Tilak Nagar, Nangloi, Surajmal Stadium, Badarpur, Tughlakabad, Uttam Nagar West and Nawada stations. The stations were later opened.
"The situation on the ground is very normal. It is under control. We received many calls. All the calls were found to be fake. We sent the calls to the SHOs, inspectors. We are dominating the area. We are talking to the people," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Southeast Delhi, RP Meena told NDTV.
"Some anti-social elements have spread rumours. We received many PCR calls. The situation is completely normal. Police personnel have been deployed everywhere. Don't pay attention to rumours and inform police about it," Delhi Police public relations officer MS Randhawa told news agency ANI.
Agencies monitoring the situation in the capital since the unprecedented violence broke out in northeast Delhi have noticed a trend in which panic is being created in the parts of the city by making bogus calls to police control room.
"We did this sampling study in northwest Delhi in Jahangirpuri police station also on February 27," another senior officer said.
According to a report given by Delhi Police, the Jahangirpuri police station received 286 calls on February 27. Out of these, 224 calls were related to "fake rioting".
"These fake rioting calls started coming from 9 pm. First, this type of call was made at 8:47 pm and the last was at 11:07 pm," the police report states.
The report adds that in two hours and 20 minutes, 224 PCR calls with "fake rioting" alerts were made. The police received approximately two calls each minute.
"A new modus operandi for creating panic among the masses and for gaining sympathy and attention from the media has been adopted by some mischief-makers," an officer disclosed.
According to him, not only panic calls were being made but also WhatsApp messages were being circulated, adding to the confusion.
"Please remember that such activities over the internet leave digital footprints. Instigating a riot can have severe consequences ...And severe criminal liability follows. Please be responsible citizens. Verify from trusted sources before forwarding any message..." the Special Cell of Delhi Police tweeted.