Kanpur violence: 12 more held over clashes; minor surrenders
Meanwhile, district magistrate Neha Sharma was also transferred and posted as director of local bodies and will be be replaced by special secretary at chief minister’s office Vishak G Iyer, according to a statement issued by the state appointment and personnel department.
Kanpur: At least 12 more people were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the Kanpur violence and a minor boy surrendered after his photograph appeared on hoardings along with other suspects in the city, police said on Tuesday.
District magistrate Neha Sharma was also transferred and posted as director of local bodies, as the Uttar Pradesh government held a major bureaucratic reshuffle in the state. She will be replaced by special secretary at chief minister’s office Vishak G Iyer, according to a statement issued by the state appointment and personnel department.
Also Read | Kanpur district magistrate Neha Sharma transferred days after violence
With the latest arrests on Tuesday, a total of 50 people have been held so far, police said.
The 16-year-old minor, a resident of Ghammu Khan ka Hata in Colonelganj police area, arrived with his family at the police station to surrender and was subsequently sent to a child protection home in the city, joint commissioner of police Anand Prakash Tiwari said.
“The boy surrendered and was sent to a child protection home,” Tiwari said, adding that utmost care was being taken to identify people involved in the riots before arresting them.
The minor’s mother, who was among those who accompanied him to the police station, alleged her elder son and son-in-law were picked up by police two days ago to build pressure on her younger son to surrender.
“My other son and son-in-law, who were picked up by police and were in custody for two days, were released after my younger son surrendered. Police were building pressure on my younger son to surrender,” she said.
Anwargunj assistant commissioner of police Tripurari Pandey, denied the allegation and said the boy surrendered on his own after his photograph appeared on the hoardings.
The minor was among 40 suspects whose photograph was put up on hoardings in several areas for identification and subsequent arrests over the June 3 violence that left 49 people, including 20 police personnel, injured.
The minor’s photographs appeared in two places on the poster – on slot no 13 and 31 – after he was seen in a video of stone pelting at police in Nai Sarak on the day of the violence, police officials familiar with the developments said. Police also conducted two raids at his house after his photograph matched with that on his Facebook profile, the officials added.
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.
Tension erupted as protesters called for a bandh and forced closure of shops owned by Hindus in Pared locality of the district. The violence soon spilled to different localities, including Beconganj, Anwarganj and Moolgunj, as protesters pelted stones, fired shots and lobbed petrol bombs at police who in return used batons to disperse the mob, officials had earlier said.
Over 1,000 people (of which 36 are named accused) have been booked in connection with the violence. Among those arrested is Hayat Zafar Hashmi, chief of Maulana Mohammed Ali Jauhar Fans Association, a local social group. Hashmi is suspected to be the mastermind of the violence.
Meanwhile, police on Tuesday also booked eight people for allegedly posting fake and provocative content on social media, the officials cited above said. On Monday, 15 such users were booked and a case was registered with Kotwali police under sections 505 (statements conducing public mischief) and 507 (criminal intimidation through anonymous communication) of Indian Penal Code and section 66 (computer-related offences) of the IT Act.
Shahar Qazi of Deobandi faction (of Sunni Muslims), Qari Abdus Quddus Hadi, condemned police’s remarks that they would seize and demolish properties of the accused in the case.
“Agar bulldozer chala… hum kafan bandh kar sadak par utrenge (if the bulldozer is allowed to run, we will fight till our death),” he said.
On June 3, police commissioner Vijay Singh Meena had said authorities would seize and run bulldozers on properties of the accused. “We will also invoke the National Security Act against them,” she had said.
Bulldozer is a reference to the action taken by the Yogi Adityanath government to vacate illegally occupied land and demolish illegal properties using the motorized machine.
Rajiv Yadav, president of Rihai Manch – an outfit that helps victims and accused of riots, Alok Agnihotri of Public Union of Civil Liberties and Sharfuddin Ahmed, general secretary of All India Lawyers Association, said they have formed a fact-finding team to look into the June 3 violence and subsequent police action, and a public interest litigation (PIL) would be filed in Allahabad high court on the basis of the committee’s findings.