Vivek Vihar police disclosed that ``the SDMs who were assaulted include Uday Kumar (Vivek Vihar), Sanjeev Kumar (Preet Vihar) and Ravi (Gandhi Nagar). The three were prevented from taking samples at the shops selling oil in the Anaj Mandi area.''

According to the police, the SDMs were assaulted and then locked inside shop No 239 in the area. Vivek Vihar police have identified five traders who own shops in the area as the accused. However, the police has only been able to arrest one of them Naresh Babu Sharma. The others fled the spot. The incident happened in full public view even as hundreds of people gathered at the spot.

Head constable Jai Kishen who was on duty with the SDMs has also been injured as he tried to come to their aid. Just as he was trying to enter the shop where the officers had been thrown in, the traders dropped the shop shutters. However, Jai Kishen moved away and has received minor injuries on the forehead.

On hearing the news, a shocked Deputy Commissioner (East) Diwan Chand rushed to the Vivek Vihar police station. A case has been registered at the police station against the traders for causing injury to government officials and interrupting official work by force.

The raid was part of the government scheme to collect samples from shops in various areas of the capital for testing at the PFA. Twenty-seven teams of SDMs had been formed under orders of the Delhi government to collect samples from the market.