Residents of Brahmapuri in the North-East district of Delhi were left shocked and outraged after a poster was posted and widely shared on social media, calling on Hindu landlords in the area not to sell their houses to Muslim buyers. The poster, which was pasted in Gali No. 13, warned that any registry of such sales would not be allowed and that landlords would be held responsible for any issues that may arise. It also stated that any future deals should be made with Hindus only. The poster was signed by Pradeep Sharma, an advocate from Gali No. 13, Brahmapuri.

When our correspondent spoke to local residents, they reported that the situation was now calm but that people were hesitant to discuss the matter. According to local residents, Sharma is a resident of Gali No. 13 and self-identifies as a lawyer. However, they were unable to confirm whether he had been arrested or if he had any affiliations with any political party.

Silence in Gully no 13 where the offensive poster appeared three days ago

One local resident from Gali No. 13 said that "two days ago, posters were found in the street. The imam of Mateen Masjid in the street filed a complaint with the police and an investigation was conducted. The station head and ACP from Osmanpur police station arrived at the scene, apprehended the accused Pradeep Sharma and took him into custody." Other residents had different perspectives on the matter, claiming that he was absconding.

According to another resident, the street has a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims, and members of both communities jointly filed a complaint against Sharma and handed him over to the police. According to some residents, Sharma has claimed that there is a conspiracy against him and that his name was used in the poster without his knowledge or consent. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to contact Mr Sharma. However, when our correspondent contacted the police, the Osmanpur police station ASI Ramer stated that they received a complaint about such posters being put up, however, upon investigation, their police station head and ACP, along with their team, did not find any such posters when they reached Brahmapuri street number 13.

The area of Brahmapuri was not affected by the riots that occurred in the North East district of Delhi in 2020, but neighboring areas like Chauhan Bangar, Jaffrabad, and Brahmapuri adjacent to Ghonda on the left and Bhajanpura area experienced significant violence. These areas have remained sensitive since then, and the emergence of such posters has the potential to vitiate the atmosphere in the area. Already the streets seemed deserted and residents appeared reluctant to speak freely.

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