Delhi violence victims lead peace march to pay tribute to those killed, kin share ordeal

In wake of the heinous violence that had gripped the national capital, 15 victims of Delhi violence, along with their family members, on Saturday took part in a peace march organised by NGO Delhi Peace Forum (DPF). The march was organised to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the riots that broke out in the northeast district over the amended Citizenship law. The PDF, which has high ranking retired military officers, IAS and High Court judges, is headed by Justice MC Garg.

As many as 42 people lost their lives while around 200 people sustained serious injuries in the violence that rocked North-East Delhi for four days.  The march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament Street police station witnessed participation of around 28,000 people from all walks of life as well office bearers of more than 500 different organisations in the national capital. After the conclusion of the march, the forum submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

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Kin share ordeal

Delhi riot victims narrated tales of the horrific tragedy. Golu, a one-and-a-half-year-old, lost his father in the riots. His father, Dinesh Khatik, a resident of Delhi's Shiv Vihar area, was shot dead when he went out to buy milk for him. Also, Kamal Sharma, the owner of restaurant Captain Kataora at Bhajanpura, narrated how an angry mob set two of his restaurants on fire. He said he was shocked to learn from CCTV footage that the same customers who used to dine in his restaurant for years had burnt the restaurants into ashes.

Participants also paid tributes to Delhi Police constable Ratan Lal and Intelligence Bureau (IB) personnel Ankit Sharma who were killed in the violence.

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Government attempts to restore normalcy in Delhi

As many as 42 people lost their lives while around 200 people sustained serious injuries in the violence that rocked North-East Delhi for four days. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of people who died in the violence. He said that 5 lakh will be provided in cases of permanent incapacitation, Rs 2 lakh for serious injuries and Rs 20,000 for a minor injury.

Additionally, the Delhi government has offered Rs 25,000 ex-gratia to the people whose houses have been burnt down by rioters. As the situation in violence-hit north-east Delhi improved, the prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC were relaxed for four hours on Saturday.

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