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Bahraich violence: Senior cop ‘transferred’ to police HQ
Post-violence in Bahraich, police officials faced disciplinary action, with calls for a CBI probe amid ongoing tensions and concerns over encroachments.
Disciplinary action on officials post the violence in Bahraich’s Maharajganj on October 13 continued with the transfer of another senior police official in the district.
Additional superintendent of police (rural) Pavitra Mohan Tripathi had been transferred to the police headquarters and he would be replaced by Durga Prasad Tiwari, sources in the department said.
Earlier, station house officer (SHO) SK Verma of Hardi police station and the in-charge of Mahsi police outpost Shiv Kumar were suspended. Also, circle officer (CO) of Mahsi Rupendra Gaur was replaced by CO Ravi Khokhar. The district administration also removed tehsildar Ravikant Dwivedi and district information officer Ghulam Waris from their positions.
Meanwhile, the situation in Maharajganj’s Mahsi remained tense but calm. Notices issued by the Public Works Department (PWD) on 23 properties, including three Hindu households, for encroachment removal sparked concerns. The Allahabad High Court, responding to a plea by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), granted 15 days for the affected residents to respond and three days for the government to provide necessary information. The next hearing on the issue is set for October 23.
Also, the displacement of shopkeepers and residents, who fear ‘bulldozer action’, continued. A heavy police presence remained deployed in the area even on Monday.
Council demands CBI probe
Disappointed with police action in connection with the Maharajganj violence on October 13, the office-bearers of Rashtriya Ulama Council on Monday demanded a probe by the CBI into the incident.
The Council, led by its district president Sarwar Khan Qasmi, handed over a memorandum addressed to the Uttar Pradesh governor to the Bahraich city magistrate in this regard.
The Council expressed grief over the death of a person during the Durga idol immersion incident. The unrest occurred during an immersion procession in Maharajganj, where provocative and anti-Muslim songs were reportedly played on loudspeaker, followed by the removal of a religious flag from a house, which sparked violence.
Qasmi said innocent people were being arrested and sent to jail in connection with the incident. The memorandum said that the action of the police and administration appeared to be one-sided and there is no hope of getting justice from the local police.
The council members handed over their memorandum to City Magistrate Shalini Prabhakar, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter.
Talking to HT over phone, Qasmi said compensation should be given to both parties, including those whose houses and shops were set on fire. He said the incident was a failure of the district administration. The incident could have been averted if timely action was taken by police and the district administration, he observed.
