The North East district of Delhi is a bustling area. Located east of river Yamuna, this part of Delhi includes localities such as Shastri Park, Seelampur, and Jafrabad. Roughly a 23-minute drive (around 9 kms) from the Supreme Court of India, these areas of the capital are ailed by rampant crime. Residents say that while crime is fairly commonplace, there has been a steep rise in these incidents in the past few months.
As per a Times of India (TOI) report published in July 2024, at least 20 murders took place in May, June and July in the year 2024 across various parts of North East Delhi. A 16-year-old school student, a 21-year-old bus conductor, and a 25-year-old man are among the many victims. This surge in crime has led to widespread fear and concerns among the locals, making safety a critical issue in this bustling area.
On the evening of August 13, Mohd Rizwan, a 25-year-old man, was shot dead in front of his house in the area of Chauhan Bangar, Jafrabad. The murder took place around 4:30 PM when he stepped out of his house to have tea.
“It was an ordinary evening for us. I was having lunch when our neighbour shouted my name. When I went outside, she told me that Rizwan had been shot,” his 24-year-old brother Mohammad Imran said. Rizwan left behind an eight-month pregnant wife.
Salman Ansari, a 35-year-old shopkeeper near Rizwan’s house, who witnessed the incident, said that Rizwan was shot by two individuals. “I had not seen these people before. They seemed new. On the pretext of asking something, they approached Rizwan. One of them engaged Rizwan in a conversation, while the other took out his gun and shot him in the head,” said Ansari.
Just days after Rizwan’s murder, on August 17, another area of northeast Delhi witnessed the murder of a young man. A 21-year-old boy, Sameer Khan, was murdered in Shastri Park. He was a bus conductor. This time, it was not a gun but a knife.
“Around 4-5 boys from street number 5 of Shastri Park had a fight with Sameer at around 10 PM. One of the boys attacked him in the chest multiple times with a knife. No one attempted to intervene as we were scared. When the miscreants left him in critical condition, the locals took him to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, where the doctors declared him dead,” Mohd Nazim, a local vegetable vendor said. The murders of Rizwan and Sameer are just some of the cases of violence that have occurred in North-East Delhi in the past few months.
A similar incident took place on 11th July 2024 in the area of Jafrabad. Two brothers, both minors, came to buy T-shirts from Jafrabad market in the evening. One of the brothers, aged 16, who had just passed 11th standard, was shot around 9 PM.
“We went to Jafrabad to buy clothes from Kabir Nagar. While we were in a shop they noticed us. They left but later approached us, asking us to come outside and sit on their scooters. When we refused, one of them pulled out a knife. As we tried to defend ourselves, another man drew a gun and shot my brother in the back.” said the elder brother of the deceased who was present at the moment.
The locals said that it is not just personal enmity in these cases; some of them are due to gang rivalry as well. According to TOI, multiple gangs like Hashim Baba, Maya and Chhenu Pehalwan are active in the area. Zakir Ali, a 59-year old local businessman who runs a jacket manufacturing factory in Jafrabad said, “I have been here for the last 40 years and have never seen such a spike in crime as now. I don’t know how dangerous a man could be. I have told my sons not to argue with anyone. We have a family business here; otherwise, we would have left this area.”
Many residents have expressed their frustration with the police, accusing them of failing to take strict action against criminals. “The police do nothing,” claimed a primary school teacher, on the condition of anonymity. “We live in fear, and no one is here to protect us. My daughter is in 10th class, and we get scared when we hear such news. We will leave this area after her board exams in 2025. It’s not just the murders, but I also see young boys doing drugs. Everyone knows this but they don’t want to take care of it. These things lead to bigger crimes,” said the 40-year old woman.
Police officials at Jafrabad Police Station and Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East Delhi) did not respond to queries seeking comment on the rising graph of crime in the area.
As polling day approaches for Delhi assembly elections, the focus is also on rising crime rate in the national capital. The BJP has been targeting the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party and its government in Delhi for the deteriorating law and order in the city. AAP, on the other hand, hits back at the saffron party citing the control over Delhi Police by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
