AGRA: Two more men who had suffered bullet injuries during the anti-CAA protests in

on December 20 succumbed in two Delhi hospitals early on Thursday. With this, the statewide toll has gone up to 23.

Mohammed Shafeeq, aged about 40, was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on December 24 while Mohammed Haroon (33) was admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre on Wednesday. The latest deaths came even as Inspector general (

Agra

range) Satish Ganesh claimed that the cops didn’t fire a single bullet at the protesters. “Haroon had suffered a bullet injury in the neck and was shifted from a hospital in Firozabad.

He died during the course of treatment early on Thursday,” a doctor at AIIMS Trauma Centre said. A senior doctor at Safdarjung Hospital said Shafeeq, too, died on Thursday. The family of Haroon, a resident of Nagla Mullah, had earlier claimed he was shot in the face while on his way home from a cattle market where he had gone to sell buffaloes.

After being shot, he collapsed on the road and the mob chased by police trampled over him. He suffered a cardiac rupture and even developed clots in his brain. It took us six hours to get him admitted to a private hospital in Agra as no hospital, including S N Medical College, was ready to give him medical aid,” said Zaki Sheikh, Haroon’s brother-in-law.

“Later on Monday night, the hospital referred Haroon to Delhi and we took him to AIIMS, where he breathed his last at 12.55am on Thursday,” said Zaki Sheikh. S NMedical College chief medical superintendent S K Majumdar said, “Total eight patients from Firozabad were admitted to our hospital, out of which two were operated on by our doctors. There is a possibility of delay in treatment as a massive number of patients came to our trauma centre that day.”

Meanwhile, Shafeeq’s brother Nissar said, “He was shot by policemen right outside our scrap shop in Mohalla Masrurganj of

police jurisdiction.”

“As soon as the violence began, Shafeeq forced all family members to go inside the house. He was about to turn back towards our scrap shop when a bullet hit him. We rushed him to the nearest private hospital in Firozabad which refused to admit him and asked us to take him to Agra, where he was given firstaid. On Saturday, he was referred to Safdarjung Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries at 3am on Thursday,” said Nissar.

Inspector general (Agra range) Satish Ganesh said, “Not a single bullet was fired by police on anyone during the December 20 violence. However, 233 teargas shells and 58 rubber bullets were used to disperse the mob. We are waiting for the autopsy reports of all the deceased. Only after a thorough probe can we ascertain what and who killed them.”