Curfew in Saharanpur after communal clash, 2 dead... LUCKNOW: Violent clashes broke out in Saharanpur district of West Uttar Pradesh on Saturday over a land dispute between two communities. Even as curfew was imposed in three police station areas, two persons died, while at least 18 others, including five policemen, were injured during the clashes in Kutubshehr area of Saharanpur. Commissioner, Saharanpur, Tanveer Zafar Ali said a policeman sustained bullet injuries during the clashes and has been referred to PGI in a serious condition. The communal conflagration also resulted in nearly two dozen shops and vehicles being gutted in the Saharanpur area. DIG Saharanpur N Ravindra said the clashes started over an old dispute over a piece of land caught in litigation, lodged between two places of worship. On Saturday, members of one community began constructing a boundary wall around the land, which was then opposed by members from the second community. The brawl began with a verbal spat and led to the two groups hurling stones at each other. The violence flared up despite the polices intervention. District police said they used force and fired rubber bullets to bring the condition under control. Following the communal tension, the district administration imposed section 144 of the CrPC in Saharanpur. To maintain law and order in the area, paramilitary forces, the PAC and RAF have been deployed in the area. Following the communal tension, senior UP officials convened an emergency meeting in Lucknow, with principal secretary home, Rakesh Bahadur, leading the charge. With tension prevailing in Saharanpur and Moradabad, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also directed senior home department officials to be strict in handling the situation in the two areas. The CM is also learnt to have told the officials no laxity will be accepted in keeping the rioters under control. Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan said that curfew has been clamped in three police stations and no one would be allowed to disturb law and order situation. He said the district administration has been directed not to allow breach of peace at any cost. On Saturday, the situation also remained tense in Moradabad, where BJP has been staging a sit- in to demand an FIR being lodged against Moradabad SSP Dharmveer Yadav. BJP alleged that its senior leaders were either detained or prevented from reaching Kanth. BJP state unit chief Laxmikant Bajpayi, however, reached Kanth and met with the district magistrate protesting the alleged manhandling of BJP workers at the hands of the district magistrate earlier this month.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 15:10:53 +0000
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