Nearly a month after Tarun Kumar, a 26-year-old resident of Uttam Nagar’s Hastsal Colony was killed on Holi following a dispute with his neighbours over splashing of colours, a massive procession was taken out in the colony on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, amid the heavy deployment of police, CRPF and RAF personnel. At the feet of an almost 7-feet-tall idol of Lord Hanuman on a truck was a garlanded photo frame of Tarun.

“Hanuman Jayanti celebrations are always grand in our area, but it’s a little grander this time. We have introduced a song for him (Tarun) in the DJ mix as well,” says Seema Porwal, a “social worker” who was one of the women sitting on the truck’s carrier.

“I have never seen a month like this in my 25 years here. March was very different. But now we have almost got used to it. There is no fear anymore,” she adds.

Seema was referring to the procession being flanked by police, CRPF and RPF personnel.

This is not the first festival that the colony has celebrations like this after Tarun’s death. On March 21 as well, Eid was celebrated in the locality’s Eidgah amid similar security arrangements.

The procession on Thursday started from Om Shiv mandir, metres ahead of the Eidgah. Similar to March 21, vehicles passing the barricades placed on the road to the local temple were inspected by CRPF personnel, while police personnel randomly asked people about their purpose of visit, and checked their identity cards.

The cavalcade was joined by another truck, which had people dressed up as Gods. As it passed Tarun’s house, it stopped and stayed a minute longer than it did in other lanes. Songs, mourning Tarun’s death, were played on the boomboxes.

As the procession turned towards another lane, Vikas (26) came out of his bakery, and started recording videos on his phone. He showed videos of a procession which had passed hours ago and also those clicked during the festival last year.

“While it almost had a similar fervour, one thing was different this year… the police men, and you guys (media personnel). We have always celebrated Hanuman Jayanti in a grand manner. It’s not to show anyone anything. All these people you see are here every year,” Vikas said, whose father had started the family bakery more than a decade ago.

Tarun’s family, meanwhile, was not a part of the procession. They were at a court in Dwarka, attending a hearing for the bail plea of the accused juvenile.

“We did not take part in the procession. We protested in front of the judge and sought that the bail plea be denied,” said Tek Chand, Tarun’s father.

Meanwhile in Jahangirpuri, another area that saw heavy police presence following violence on Hanuman Jayanti in 2022, police removed around 20 people from the Hindu Raksha Dal during Thursday’s celebrations. Around 1,000 officers were stationed in a 2-km stretch, where Bajrang Dal took out a similar procession like that of Hastsal Colony.

“Some people had entered without permission, and were going on a route that was not pre-approved. Hence, they were removed,” an officer said.