Kanpur violence: 12 more arrested, 16-yr-old boy surrenders before cops

The boy was seen in one of the video footages of stone pelting at the police on Nai Sarak on Friday. He has been sent to the child protection home , says joint commissioner of police

KANPUR At least 12 more people were arrested in connection with the violence that broke out in Kanpur on June 3, taking the total number of people held so far to 50 while a 16-year-old boy surrendered before the police on Tuesday after his picture appeared on the poster of 40 suspects allegedly involved in the clash on Friday.

Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel patrol the Parade Chauraha area on Monday after violence broke out between two groups on June 3, in Kanpur. (ANI Photo)

The poster released by the Kanpur police on Monday was put up at prominent places in and around the area where the violence had erupted.

The boy’s picture appeared at two places on the poster — on slot no 13 and 31 – among the 40 pictures. The boy, a resident of Ghammu Khan ka Hata in Colonelgunj police area of Kanpur, had been sent to the child protection home in the city, said Anand Prakash Tiwari, Joint commissioner of police.

Some of his members accompanied the boy to the police station, said his mother.

The boy was seen in one of the video footages of stone pelting at the police on Nai Sarak on Friday. His picture matched with his social media profile on Facebook, after which the police conducted two raids at his house, said police.

Shahar Qazi of Deobandi faction Qari Abdus Quddus Hadi said there was anger among the people over police action after the incident. “Agar bulldozer chala…hum kafan bandh kar sadak par utrenge (if the bulldozer was allowed to run, it would be a do-or-die situation for us),” he said.

On June 3, commissioner of police, Vijay Singh Meena, had said that the police would seize the properties of rioters and conspirators and bulldoze them. “We will invoke NSA, seize their properties and bulldoze them,” he had said.

Rihai Manch president Rajiv Yadav, Alok Agnihotri of Public Union of Civil Liberties and Sharfuddin Ahmed, general secretary of All India Lawyers Association, said police action over Kanpur violence was biased.

They said a fact-finding team had been constituted to look into the violence and subsequent police action, and a PIL would be filed in Allahabad high court on the basis of its findings.

The violence in Pared, Nai Sadak and Yateemkhana areas on June 3 broke out after some people called for closure of shops as part of protest over alleged objectionable remarks made against Prophet Mohammed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Sharma was suspended by the party on Sunday.