Tis Hazari violence: ‘They abused, pushed, grabbed DCP’s collar, tried to snatch my pistol’

A five-minute audio tape of a police man, who was seriously injured in Saturday's violent clashes at Tis Hazari courts, revealed that the lady Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) present on the spot was allegedly abused and roughed up by the lawyers and a desperate attempt was made to snatch away her PSO's service revolver.

While the PSO (Personal Security Officer called 'Operator' in Delhi police) was thrashed with iron chains and lay unconscious on the floor, the lady DCP, Monika Bhardwaj, broke down on Sunday and wept for quite some time, the audio clip revealed.

Reliable sources said that the audio clip is part of a recorded telephone conversation between the injured PSO of the lady DCP and one of her office staff. The PSO disclosed over phone to his colleague how during the violent clashes the lawyers severely assaulted him, resulting in fracture in his shoulder and injuries in ribs and hands.

"I tried to protect madame (the lady DCP) who was circled by a mob of lawyers. They abused her, roughed her up and tried to pull her collar. When I moved close to shield her, they tried to snatch my pistol," the PSO was heard saying while disclosing graphic details of the violence.

"They (the lawyers) were around 300-400 and we were only 4-5 (policemen), including madame, when they started beating us," he added.

On being unconscious, the PSO revealed that in a bid to shield the lady DCP, he was first hit on his back by an iron chain. The iron chain, used to close the gates of the lock-up, was pulled out by the lawyers.

"I immediately locked the pistol and tried to insert it in my belt when I was hit by an iron rod on head. As I slipped, some of them kicked me on my face," the PSO said as he broke down.

He revealed that even while he was being roughed up brutally by the mob, not even one official of the department bothered to ask him "tu jinda hai....ya thik hai...mera police ki naukri se man uth gya. (Are you alive, are you alright? I am now disenchanted with the police service)."

The PSO then revealed another startling fact: "You know, the first man (lawyer) who hit me on my head was my classmate in school, Onkar. He was the first to strike a blow."

On the brazen loot of the service pistol of constable Amit (another colleague), the PSO said: "Amit was severely beaten. His ear drum has been ruptured. He has received internal injuries in stomach... And he is lying in a hospital bed. 'Usse bhi gira, gira kar maara gya... Pistol bhi chheen lee'. (He was brutally beaten up and his pistol was snatched away)."

About the lady DCP, the PSO revealed that on Sunday, the day after the violence, she attended a high-level meeting where she was reportedly threatened.

"In the meeting, the CP (Commissioner of Police) was also present. After the meeting, madame came out and wept... she wept for quite some time. It's strange... You are first beaten up and then you have to listen to such abuses in the meeting too," the PSO was heard as saying.

Though IANS cannot independently verify the authenticity of the audio clip, as per reliable sources in Delhi police, the clip is related to the staff of DCP Monika Bhardwaj and would be an important piece of evidence during the investigation into Saturday's violent clashes between the lawyers and the police at Tis Hazari courts in Delhi.