As police and paramilitary forces gain control of riot-hit areas of North East Delhi, more and more evidence indicates that the riots were engineered. A lot of planning, improvisation and procurement of materials happened prior to Delhi riots.

The first piece of evidence, according to police, came when petrol bombs, stones and acid pouches were found on the roof of a building owned by now suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in Chand Bagh area.

India Today teams visited riot-hit areas on Friday to see tell-tale signs, in Shiv Vihar area in Karawal Nagar, one of the worst-affected localities in the city. In one of the congested lanes of the locality, DRP School stood in shambles.

Every inch of the building stood charred and every fan twisted and torn out of the ceiling. The laboratory was burnt down. The computers in the Department of IT smashed. Every bench for students was hurled in the central courtyard. The arsonists didn't walk in from the gate as it was locked

They climbed down an adjoining four-storey building of another school using ropes, which were over 40-feet long. They stayed there and had a meal before they destroyed the place.

The roof of the adjoining school shows that it was a virtual assault hub. We found multiple crates with a few bottles of Molotov cocktails or simply petrol bombs. There were two specially welded steel rods used as catapults - with large strips of rubber from truck tires. These were used to hurl petrol bombs, acid pouches and stones at targets in the neighbourhood. The catapult hit long distances exposing homes and shops in the neighbourhood.

Crates with petrol bombs on the roof of a school building Crates with petrol bombs on the roof of a school building

The owner of the school, Faisal said, "The school ended at around 2 pm and we had left. I can't say who came after we left and took over the building." He, however, didn't deny the presence of hostile material on the rooftop of the building.

There were 15 burnt vehicles - overturned and set on fire - on the roadside. Every shot was fired with the aim to burn the target to ashes. Around 100 vehicles stood burnt in two neighbouring parking lots having been hit by the petrol bombs hurled at them.

In one corner of the street stood an innocuous looking pushcart but the police say it was an improvised catapult device with a large heap of stone on the cart bed. Two parallel steel angles were welded to the body of the cart. They had strong rubber ropes with a large pouch in the middle. The cart on the day of rioting was driven around, positioned strategically to hurl petrol bombs and acid pouches.

Mobile cart catapult suspected to have been used during communal riots in Delhi.

Policemen who reached the riot-hit area first were astounded to see the digger vehicle which was virtually used as a rocket launcher. A senior police officer admitted that improvised catapults - mobile as well as those fixed on rooftops - appear to have been used to maximize the damage during communal riots. The officer said use of such improvised catapults was a first of sorts. It seems miscreants were plotting a strike for some time, the officer said.

Similar catapults were found, the police said, at more than dozen points. The police continued their search more rooftops for projectiles and ammunition that might have been used during Delhi riots.

The other striking element about the riots is the large amount of bricks was used. The stone pelting was so heavy in Shiv Vihar that the municipal corporation had to press into service several earthmovers to lift and remove the stones.

A municipal worker said more than 20 truckload of bricks, stones and other construction materials have been moved from the area. A senior police official said, "Such huge volume of construction materials can't be around for a spontaneous riot. This was collected over a period of time."

#DelhiViolence | India Today's @Rahulshrivstv explains why the riots in North East Delhi was not a spontaneous clash between communities but a planned attack. Watch this report. #ITVideo pic.twitter.com/DoZSeSEeKc India Today (@IndiaToday) February 28, 2020

The police are probing the presence of organised gangs in the area, who could have triggered the violence and arson. Two local gangs and their handlers from across the border with Uttar Pradesh are under the lens.

Around 200 WhatsApp groups are being investigated. These were suspected to have been used to organise mobs and collect firearms used in the Delhi riots.

A senior police officer said nearly 5,000 rounds are estimated to have been fired during two days in the Chand Bagh area.

B Chowdhry, DIG with CRPF's Rapid Action Force (RAF), "When RAF moved in, the whole area was on fire. One couldn't walk around or enter the lanes. We could keep hearing sound of gun shots long after we came here. On the first day, we heard over 50 gun shots from adjoining areas in the first two hours."

Postmortem of most of those who died due to gun shots has indicated use of country-made firearms. The country-made guns don't have the capacity to fire multiple rounds. That indicates presence of hundreds of firearms with the rioting mob.

Special Commissioner of Delhi Police SN Shrivastava in riot-hit Shiv Vihar on Friday.

The special commissioner of Delhi Police SN Shrivastava said, "We have registered 100 cases of rioting. We will wait for probe to be over. The availability of firearms has to be checked thoroughly."