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Moharram processions peaceful across U.P; 2 dead as tazia catches fire in Amroha
Across Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, the Moharram processions were peaceful barring a few stray incidents of clashes and accidents reported from Varanasi and Lucknow, they added.
Two persons, including a minor boy, were killed and over 40 others injured during a Moharram procession when the ‘tazia’ caught fire after coming in contact with a high-tension wire, in Amroha district on Saturday, said senior police officials.
Across Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, the Moharram processions were peaceful barring a few stray incidents of clashes and accidents reported from Varanasi and Lucknow, they added.
Uttar Pradesh police special director general (Special DG)-Law and Order Prashant Kumar said despite the state reporting a few stray incidents of deaths, which included one due to drowning (in Moradabad), people getting injured due to tazia processions getting in the range of high-tension wires and minor clashes, the day remained peaceful, and no major law-and-order issues were reported.
Around 14,100 tazia processions were taken out in the presence of police and district administration officials across the state.
In Amroha, over a thousand people were taking part in the procession with the 25-feet-tall tazia, a replica of the tomb of Imam Hussain, that caught fire at Patai Khalsa village in the Didauli area of the district. The procession was heading to the ‘karbala’ in the nearby Nili Kheri village.
District superintendent of police (SP) Aditya Langeh said the two people who died were identified as Shane Mohammad (40) and Owaish (10) even as over 40 others were injured in the mishap. The injured were hospitalised at the local community health centre and the district hospital.
In Moradabad, a 13-year-old boy, identified as Mohd Azeem, drowned after slipping into a six-foot-deep rainwater-filled pit that was previously dug for the tazia burial. A local told media persons that the incident took place when the Moharram procession had reached the ‘karbala’ at Jafarpur village under Mainanther police station limits at around 12.30 pm.
Two other minors, who had also accidentally fallen into the pit, were rescued. Azeem, however, died while being taken to a hospital.
Similarly, a youngster was severely injured when a tazia caught fire after coming in the range of a high-tension wire, between Purania and Daliganj Crossing of Lucknow, said deputy commissioner of police (Lucknow-North) SM Qasim Abidi.
3 hurt in stone-pelting in Varanasi
Three persons suffered minor injuries after two groups of the community pelted stones at each other during a tazia procession in the Jaitpura area of Varanasi, local police said.
Varanasi police chief Ashok Mutha Jain and district magistrate S Rajalingam reached the spot and RAF was deployed after which peace was restored in the area.
Deputy police chief of Kashi Zone Ramsevak Gautam’s office said normalcy had been restored in the area, and that the three persons who suffered minor injuries had been discharged after their treatment at a hospital.
9 held for tearing govt. scheme posters in Maharajganj
Gorakhpur: Nine persons were arrested for tearing posters of government schemes that had pictures of chief minister Yogi Adityanath and local MLAs, in Maharajganj’s Barahara Baraipa village, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Atishi Kumar Singh said. Meanwhile, sub-divisional magistrate (Sadar) Dinesh Mishra camped in the village to ensure peaceful observance of the Moharram procession. In Kushinagar, some members of the community strongly objected to the choosing of a new route for the Moharram procession. Meanwhile, Gorakhpur alone saw around 900 processions despite rains the previous night, to mark the occasion, the officials said.
