The police announced on Sunday that twenty-five more people had been taken into custody in relation to the violence that broke out on February 8 in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, after a mosque and a madrasa were demolished.
Of them, twelve were said to have attacked the police station, six were accused of setting cars on fire outside the building, and seven were said to have taken part in the violence that occurred during the destruction.
According to Prahlad Narayan Meena, the senior superintendent of police in Nainital, 30 people have been taken into custody in relation to the violence as of Sunday. He stated that there have been three first information reports submitted on the subject thus far.
Meena claimed that during the assault on the police station, the crowd stole ammunition from the government.
“We have recovered seven country-made pistols and 54 live rounds,” said Meena. “When they [the rioters] attacked Banbhoolpura [police station], they looted government ammunition of different calibres as well. Sixty-seven live rounds of 7.62mm and 32 live rounds of 9mm have also been recovered.”
Even though the case was still pending in the Uttarakhand High Court, the town’s municipal corporation razed the madrasa and mosque in Banbhoolpura on February 8 on the grounds that they were constructed illegally on government property.
Police officers and locals clashed as a result of this. According to accounts, the police used baton charges and tear gas shells to quell the unrest as the residents flung stones at them and set cars on fire.
Among the more than 100 injured, including police officers, at least six people were murdered in the violence. Reports indicate that some of the victims of the violence had been shot.
A curfew that was subsequently implemented in the area was partially removed on Saturday from the town’s outer regions, although it is still in effect in Banbhoolpura.
In addition to the more than 1,000 security guards already stationed in the area, the state has asked the Center to provide four more paramilitary units.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Schools reopened after the curfew was lifted in Haldwani.
The Uttarakhand government had imposed a curfew in the state after violence broke out in Haldwani following the anti-encroachment drive. pic.twitter.com/J6HiOF8KOV
— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024
Maulana Arshad Madani, the head of the jamiat, claimed that the police were harassing Muslims, both men and women, and that they were breaking into homes. He also denounced the use of force by the police.
“We have also written a letter to the Uttarakhand DGP yesterday demanding immediate attention in this regard,” he said. “Not just the abuse of innocent citizens but also the nefarious series of arrests that have started should be stopped immediately.”
Madani alleged that the police had resorted to baton-charge to suppress the protests by residents against the demolition.
He demanded an investigation into the incident, adding that protesting against the administration is not a crime.
During their Sunday meeting with Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, a delegation from the Congress called for an unbiased probe into the issue.
Dhami informed the group, which included Assembly Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya, that the government had moved immediately to uphold peace and order in Haldwani and that a magisterial investigation into the incident was being carried out by the Kumaon commissioner, who would provide a report in 15 days.
“Action is continuously being taken against the rioters and unruly elements involved in the Haldwani violence,” Dhami said in a social media post. “All rioters are being arrested one after another. The drive against illegal encroachments in the state will not stop.”
