A man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters in the city's Jamia Millia Islamia University on Thursday, injuring a student, before calmly walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area.
Who was the shooter?
Man who brandished a gun and opened fire in Jamia area has been identified as 19-year-old Rambhakt Gopal Sharma, reported news agency ANI. He is a resident of Jewar area of Gautam Buddha Nagar District (Uttar Pradesh).
The Jamia shooter went live on Facebook multiple times before firing at the Jamia student. In one of the posts, the shooter says "azaadi de raha hu (I am coming to give you freedom). The message was directed at those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Another post says, "Shaheen Bagh, khel khatam (Shaheen Bagh, game over)".
In another status shared two hours ago, Gopal wrote, "Meri antim yatra pe mujhe bhagwa me le jaye aur Jai Shri Ram k nare ho (On my final journey, cover me in saffron clothes and chant Jai Shri Ram'.
Gopal, who has been taken to custody, shouted 'who wants azadi' before firing at the anti-CAA protesters, most of whom were students from Jamia Milia University.
The man was subsequently overpowered by police and taken into custody. The entire drama, which triggered panic in the area, was captured by television cameras that showed the man in light coloured pants and a dark jacket, walking away on an empty road barricaded by police, turning around and shouting at the protesters in Hindi, "Take this independence."
(Inputs from Agencies)
