'Peaceful' sealing resumes; 171 properties sealed, 44 arrested

New Delhi, Nov 8 (UNI) Heavy 'bandobast' by Delhi Police today led to 'peaceful' sealing in the Capital with more than 170 properties sealed in South Delhi and 44 people taken into preventive custody from all over the city.

Besides, 170 others were also detained by the Delhi Police from various location in Delhi to nip law and order problem in the bud, said Additional Commissioner Dependra Pathak.

''Overall the sealing process was peaceful with no major incident reported from anywhere.'' Some 44 people were arrested from the security point of view under Section 107, 151 of the Cr PC, which included a trade body chief Praveen Khandelwal along with two others from Ashram area of South Delhi, he said.

While 33 were arrested from North-West Delhi, five from West Delhi, four from South Delhi and two from Central Delhi, 170 detentions were also made who were later let off by evening, he added.

In all 41 additional companies, including 25 companies of para-military forces and 16 companies of the Delhi Police Reserve Battalion, besides the regular Delhi Police manned today's show which led to 'day one of resumed sealing' passing off peacefully.

Of the para-military forces, nine were from the CRPF, six from BSF and the rest from ITBP and SSB.

Yesterday, police had made 120 preventive arrests and detained 486 others. Another 18 arrests had been made in East Delhi -- 18 in Pandav Nagar and 10 in Shakarpur -- on charges of rioting.

Meanwhile, the sealing drive against unauthorised commercial establishments in residential areas of the national capital resumed with Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials locking out 171 premises in posh areas of South Delhi.

The officials, backed by a contingent of Delhi Police and Central Police Force personnel, sealed 154 properties in MCD's Central zone on a stretch from Toll Bridge to Ashram Chowk and 17 others in the South zone on Africa Avenue Road.

Prominent shops among those sealed were CTC Plaza, TRAI office, Rana Automobiles, Yamaha and BATA showrooms, Pulse-Impulse Fitness Centre and Thapar House.

Electricity and water connections of these units were also cut off.

There were no reports of violence from any part of the city though about 126 protestors, including Leader of Municipal Corporation of Delhi house Jitendra Kochar, former Union minister Vijay Goel, Municipal Councillor Rohit Manchanda and Confederation of All India Traders General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal, were detained as a preventive measure while potesting resumption of the sealing drive.

The commotion caused traffic jam in the area for some time.

Besides, Congress members in MCD's Standing Committee today tendered their resignation in protest against resumption of the sealing drive.

All 13 Congress members present in the Standing Committee meeting today put in their papers to Leader of the MCD house Jitendra Kochar through Standing Committee Chairman Jaikishan Sharma to express solidarity with the affected traders.

Seven Congress Municipal Councillors -- Ramesh Pandit, Anil Vashishth, Deepika Khullar, Prem Kumar, E S Baghadi, Zamir Ahmed and L D Ahuja -- also resigned ''to identify themselves with the people''.

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