DEFENCES DOWN

The Delhi Police and intelligence agencies failed to predict and avert the storming of the capital

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

Ritu, 24, a constable with the Delhi Police, was on duty at the Republic Day parade when she was ordered to rush to the Red Fort. The colourful tableaux showcasing a unique blend of cultural heritage and military might were passing by when Ritu joined constable Rekha and assistant sub-inspectors Joginder Raj and Pradeep in the police control room (PCR) van heading to the Red Fort. A mob, demanding a repeal of the new farm laws, had laid siege on the historic seat of imperial power, breaking barricades and unleashing violence along the way.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unfurled the national flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort to celebrate the historic day. But when Ritu and her team arrived a few hours later, it had become a battleground for thousands of men and women brandishing sticks and sharp instruments. The call of duty demanded that they enter the premises.

To their horror, the constabulary at the site had been outnumbered by then and the frenzied mob was rushing out after hoisting orange and yellow flags, ostensible symbols of Sikhism, below the national flag.

An iron railing flanks the passage to the ramparts of the Red Fort, across the 15 to 20ft moat. As Ritu made her way in, the railing toppled on to her in the stampede, injuring her in the stomach. Rekha, who recently had a child, got her feet stuck under the railing. Soon, policemen started jumping into the moats to avoid being injured by the mob. The two women constables, however, could not scurry for shelter.

Speaking to THE WEEK, assistant sub-inspector Joginder Raj recalled that when the mob swarmed out of the tent like bees, some of them tried to attack the women constables. However, they were stopped by two or three turbaned Sikhs who said there was no need for such mindless violence.