Delhi Police crime branch to probe Jamia firing

New Delhi: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has been handed over the probe into Thursday's Jamia firing in which a journalism student sustained injury after a youth opened fire at a march around 2 p.m., organised to protest against new citizenship law (CAA).

According to sources, the decision was taken after Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervened and spoke with Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. "I talked to Delhi Police Commissioner over Delhi firing incident and directed him to take strict action,"
Shah tweeted.

An FIR under the Arms Act and a case of attempt to murder have been registered against the youth. The case, lodged at the New Friends Colony police station, will now be probed under the supervision of Special Commissioner Praveer Ranjan.

"The investigation into the firing that took place today (Thursday) in Delhi has been handed over to Delhi Police Special Commissioner (Crime Branch) Praveer Ranjan," tweeted Shah.

In an earlier tweet Shah had said Centre would not tolerate such incidents and the guilty would not be spared.

During the day, a youth opened fire with a country-made .315 bore pistol when the Jamia students were to start their march from Jamia Millia Islamia to Rajghat. It left a journalism student, Shadab, with injuries on arm.

The police, which was watching the march passively, overpowered the assailant. Before opening fire, the assailant had shouted, "If you people want to stay in India then you will have to say 'Vande Mataram',"

He also shouted 'Deta hu tumhe azadi' (Let me give you freedom). He then shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' and opened fire, said a protestor

March participants called the youth a "follower of Nathuram Godse". "We are following the ideology of Gandhi, but the same ideology that killed Mahatma wanted to kill us," said a participant.

"The weapon used to fire has been seized," Delhi Police spokesperson Anil Mittal told IANS. The accused would be questioned by the Crime Branch, the Delhi Police said in a statement.