NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DEHLI, JAN 30
An unidentified man opened fire at anti-CAA protestors near the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi on Thursday afternoon, causing injuring to a student of the university.
While opening fire at protesters, the man shouted “yeh lo azaadi” (here’s your freedom) as he walked down the heavily guarded road near the university flashing a gun at the protesters. The incident took place hardly few meters away from dozens of policemen deployed outside the university, where protesters had gathered for a protest march against CAA. Delhi Police has arrested the man after overpowering him.
Attacker on FB minutes before pulling his pistol
The attacker identified as Rambhakt Gopal, had gone on live on Facebook minutes before he pulled out his pistol towards the protesters.
Selfie-footage posted by the attacker, who identifies himself as Rambhakt Gopal, shows him walking around the venue of the protest dressed in a black sleeveless bomber jacket and looking around furtively, as if trying to decide on his target.
Rambhakt Gopal, who was heard shouting “Yeh lo azaadi (here’s your freedom)”, managed to injure a student – Shadaab Farukh – before he was overpowered by the others around him. Even as the protester was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences with blood dripping down his left hand, the venue descended into chaos.
Students of Jamia gathered at the gate said the police did not do anything to stop Rambhakt Gopal. “We were standing near the barricades when suddenly this outsider, whom none of us recognised, tried to disturb the peace. He marched forward with a revolver in his hand. We were all trying to stop him and calm him down. The policemen remained standing there. He shot one of our friends when we tried to disarm him, reports NDTV.
Incidentally, two men – one of them armed with a gun – had tried to threaten protesters at Shaheen Bagh with a pistol on Tuesday. They were, however, overpowered by those at the venue and whisked away before any harm could be done.
According to witnesses, the men allegedly told the protesters to clear the road or die.
Violence had broken out at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University last month during a protest against the citizenship law. Earlier this month, masked goons attacked students and teachers at JNU, triggering nationwide outrage and protests.
