Delhi violence live updates: No fresh incident today, 13 cases registered for provocative social media posts

The city government schools which were closed in view of violence in northeast Delhi and parts of east Delhi will open on Saturday for principals and staff to assess the current situation, officials of the Directorate of Education (DoE) said on Friday. The schools were earlier announced to be closed till February 29.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the Delhi government has set up nine shelters for the riot-affected people and is distributing food among them. Addressing reporters, he said the government has started distributing Rs 25,000 in cash, as part of compensation, to those whose houses have been burnt during the violence in northeast Delhi earlier this week. Read full story

A total of 123 FIRs were registered and 630 people were either arrested or detained so far in connection with the northeast Delhi communal violence, the Delhi Police spokesperson said on Friday. Delhi Police spokesperson Mandeep Singh Randhawa said forensic science laboratory teams have been called in and the crime scenes are being revisited. Read full story

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday deputed a five-member team to visit the riot-affected areas in northeast Delhi and submit a report to her after assessing the situation there. The delegation comprises All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Mukul Wasnik, AICC in-charge Delhi Shaktisinh Gohil, Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja, former MP Tariq Anwar and Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev.

Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday alleged that the provocative speeches given by Congress leaders were responsible for the violence in Delhi, which has so far claimed 42 lives. He was talking to reporters at the press room in the Vidhan Bhavan here, where the budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature is currently on.

A 13-year-old girl, who had gone missing after school on Monday amid violence in northeast Delhi, was reunited with her parents on Friday, police officials said. The girl, a Class 8 student, had gone to take an examination at her school in the Khajuri Khas area, some 4.5km from her residence in Sonia Vihar, on Monday. Read full story

Delhi high court on Friday observed that shifting board examination centres at this time is not a viable option and asked the police to ensure proper security at the centres in the violence-hit North-East district of the national capital. A single-judge bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdhar impleaded Delhi Government as a party to the proceedings and slated the matter for further hearing on March 4.

The Delhi high court Friday sought response of the Centre and the AAP government on a PIL seeking NIA probe under the unlawful activities law UAPA into the violence in northeast Delhi over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Delhi government and the police seeking their stand on the plea which also wants registration of a case against those who were allegedly provoking citizens against CAA, including Congress leader Salman Khurshid and AIMIM leaders Waris Pathan and Asaduddin Owaisi. Read full story

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has deputed a five-member delegation to visit violence-affected areas of North-East Delhi. The delegation comprising of party general secretary Mukul Wasnik, Delhi in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil, Haryana unit chief Kumari Selja, former MP Tariq Anwar and All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev will submit a report to Gandhi after their visit.

Three days of violence in north-east Delhi resulted in burning down of at least 500 vehicles, 79 houses besides other places, official data revealed on Friday. According to the official data of the fire department, at least 79 houses, 52 shops, 3 factories and 2 schools besides places of worship were burned down during the clashes. A senior fire official said at least 218 calls were received of which 25 involved burning down of vehicles. When the fire department responded, it found at least 500 burnt vehicles, the official added.

Several non-Congress opposition parties have written to President Ram Nath Kovind to direct authorities to ensure peace is restored in violence-hit northeast Delhi and action against those accused of making provocative speeches. Leaders from parties like NCP, CP(M), CPI, RJD, LJD, DMK and AAP have also sought time from Kovind to discuss the situation in the national capital.