New Delhi, Dec 30 (ANI): Delhi Police on Sunday detained five agitators for breaking barricades at the Jantar Mantar here on Sunday during the ongoing protests demanding tougher laws to protect women in India.
The five protesters, including some members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), were later released by the police. The agitators clashed with the police personnel on being denied permission to hold a protest march.
Demonstrators at the Jantar Mantar here drew posters and banners, and condoled the demise of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim, who was cremated here early this morning in the presence of her family, some government dignitaries and officials.
The protesters' anger was not directed just at the unfortunate incident of gang-rape, but also at the police crackdown on demonstrators, where reportedly, women were also subjected to baton charges.
"The girls who were protesting had neither guns nor batons in their hands, yet they were beaten. What was their fault? They had joined the stream of change to support 'Damini', and for that they were subjected to baton-charges and jets of cold water. Even those girls are sufferers like 'Damini'," said Honey, a demonstrator.
A 'havan' was held at the protest site at Jantar Mantar here, with priests performing prayers invoking peace for the departed soul and protection for the women of the country.
Delhi Police has imposed Section 144 in various places of the national capital.
Five out of the ten Metro stations in Central Delhi that were closed down for an indefinite period in the wake of the massive protests were opened for the commuters this afternoon.
Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk and Patel Chowk are the five Metro stations that were opened at 1: 10 p.m. today.
Five other Metro stations Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, Race Course, Jor Bagh and Khan Market shall remain closed till further notice.
The Delhi Police had earlier issued advisory to all ten Metro stations to remain closed tomorrow till further notice.
The decision to close down the Metro stations was taken by Delhi Police, which is making all efforts to prevent the protesters from reaching the India Gate. They have already blocked the entire India Gate area so as to avoid any untoward incident.
Delhi Police had also closed down Metro stations last week to prevent the livid agitators from reaching the protest sites.
The 23-year-old girl, who was gang raped and brutally assaulted allegedly by six men in a moving bus in South Delhi on the night of December 16, breathed her last at Singapore's Mount Elizebeth hospital on Saturday at around 2:15 a.m. on Saturday.
The girl, who was undergoing treatment at the Safdarjung hospital here, was shifted to Mount Elizebeth hospital for further treatment.
Delhi Police had earlier on Saturday invoked murder charges against the six men allegedly involved in the gang-rape of the girl in a moving bus after she died in a Singapore hospital and decided to file the charge sheet in court on January 3.
"We hope to file the charge sheet by the 3rd of January, 2013. Section 302 of IPC, which is the penal section for murder, has been added in the case," said Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dharmendra Kumar.
"It will be our endeavor to ensure the harshest punishment in the book to the culprits," he added. (ANI)