Delhi's Shiv Vihar Residents Say Cops Could've Saved Their Shops

“I have suffered a loss of 70+ lakhs,” said Mukesh Sharma, whose shop in Delhi’s Shiv Vihar Tiraha area was gutted.

(Photo: Shadab Moizee/The Quint)

“I have suffered a loss of Rs 70+ lakhs. There are 2-3 Hindu shops here, and the rest are Muslim. We were targeted,” says Mukesh Sharma, whose shop in Delhi's Shiv Vihar Tiraha area was burned down by a mob during the night of 25 February 2020. Shiv Vihar was one of the many localities affected by the violence in north-east Delhi over the last three days.

The Quint spoke to shopkeepers and residents in Shiv Vihar, and found common anger against the inaction of the police. A resident says, “There has been no media presence, and no police protection here. There was a clash amongst people for at least 30-40 hours.”

A resident says, “There has been no media presence, and no police protection here. There was a clash amongst people for at least 30-40 hours.”(Photo: Shadab Moizee/The Quint)

'If Police Had Come in Time, Loss Could’ve Been Prevented'

Speaking on how the violence started in Shiv Vihar, he said, "The violence started day before yesterday. First, there was stone pelting from the Muslim side, and then there was stone pelting from our side. Then, more people came in, and they were throwing stones, petrol bombs, even acid. There was firing as well. One or two people were injured. It went on for long and in those 30 hours, we didn't get anything."

Mukesh Sharma, who owns a shop selling paint, laments that if there had been police presence in the area his shop could have been saved.

He says, “If we had got protection in time, then we could have prevented this loss. But when the police came, they guarded the shops from the front, and not from the back.”

Shivpal, a resident of Shiv Vihar, is also a police officer. “I risked my job in the police to save my wife, kids and my brother-in-law from the fire.”(Photo: Shadab Moizee/The Quint)

His shop has been gutted, with the glass surrounding the shop shattered.

Shivpal, a resident of Shiv Vihar, is also a police officer. “I risked my job in the police to save my wife, kids and my brother-in-law from the fire,” he said.

Apart from shops, cars and fire brigade vehicles were also burnt in the locality. Along with financial losses, residents of Shiv Vihar are now struggling with a larger vacuum — a loss in trust.