At least 143 injured in New Dehli protest

At least 143 people, including 78 policemen, were injured while a police constable is battling for his life here in a city hospital after a mass protest at India Gate in support of the December 16 gang-rape victim turned violent on Sunday, Pardaphash.com reported, citing police sources.

Some 78 policemen and 65 protesters were said to have been injured in the day long agitation at the India Gate and the surrounding area.

Among the injured were four Indian Police Service officers, Joint Commissioner of Police Taj Hassan, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Tyagi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Bhola Shankar and Additional Commissioner of Police KC Dwivedi.

Subhash Tomar, the Delhi police constable posted at east Delhi's Karawal Nagar police station, suffered critical injuries.

"Tomar was found injured at Tilak Marg and was shifted at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital in critical condition. When he was taken to the hospital, his pulse rate was missing. Doctors pumped on his chest and put him on ventilator," said Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar.

"Subhash Tomar is under observation in ICU," said hospital medical superintendent TS Sidhu.

A police officer said that the 65 protesters, who suffered injuries, were evacuated from Inida Gate around 5.30 p.m. on Sunday.

According to Neeraj Kumar, majority of the injured protesters are males.

According to police, they had to use around 250 tear gas shells and repeated baton charges to evacuate protesters from the India Gate area.

"Hooligans among the protestors resorted stone pelting. Around 12 DTC buses and equal number of PCR vans were damaged in the day long incident. One vehicle of Delhi Doordarshan was also damaged by the hooligans," said police.