Tension has gripped the area and more than 200 policemen have been deployed there. A section of the mob pelted stones at the police alleging that they were partisan-a charge deputy commissioner of police Satyendra Garg denies.

The incident occurred around 4.10 pm today in gali D where the colony elders had gathered to mediate a three-day-old eve-teasing incident. Ganesh (21) of house no. D-291 had allegedly teased Seema (16), who lived in house no. D-293. The two belong to different communities. Seema's father Shri Kishen witnessed the incident and beat up Ganesh, say neighbours.

``From what we have learnt so far, it appears that Seema's mother was not satisfied with the beating up of Ganesh and sent her son to take revenge by teasing Ganesh's sister. After the tit-for-tat incident,the area became tense but for some reason none of the two parties went to the local police,'' says Garg.

Two days after the incident, the elders of the colony got together to find a solution. ``There was tension in the area and Seema says she left her home to live in the safe confines of her uncle Babu Ram's house,'' says Garg. Babu Ram is a retired Army havildar and has a licenced 12 bore single barrel gun. ``The discussions were almost concluding but there was no consensus. They wanted Ganesh to apologise to Seema and he refused,'' Garg adds.

Residents of the area say that around 4 pm, Ganesh's family found out that Seema was living with her uncle in the same lane and gathered outside Babu Ram's house. ``They threw bricks and even tried to torch the house,'' says Lakshmi Devi, Ram's neighbour. Babu Ram went to the terrace of his house and fired in the air to push back the mob.

Undeterred, the mob allegedly poured kerosene near the entrance of his house. ``He then fired close to them,'' says TirathSingh, another neighbour. Police say that Ram fired 13 rounds. One person was killed. The injured include 13 men, eight women and five children.

Babu Ram defends his actions. ``They would have killed us all. There were more than 2,000 men charging at our house and trying to set us afire. I only fired in self defence,'' says the retired Army Medical Corps havildar. ``Mine is a registered weapon. I have a valid licence from Nagaland,'' he adds.

Meanwhile, Ganesh's relatives have charged the police with taking sides. ``We made a complaint to the police on November 9 and had it received at the office of additional DCP North-west (I). But the police took no action,'' alleges Rajesh Kumar, a resident of D-354.

The deceased has been identified as Anil Kumar (28). Police said that 21-year-old Vijay Kumar was seriously injured. ``When we rushed to the spot both sides were hurling bricks and burning kerosene bottles at each other. We managed to rescue Babu Ram, Seema and some other persons from the mob. Now theyare all under protection at the Jahangirpuri police station,'' adds Garg.

With both sides still baying for blood and three companies of police posted at the spot, police fear that Seema and her family will have to leave the neighbourhood to prevent further bloodshed.