Govt sets up probe panel

THE STATE Government today set up a high-level administrative inquiry panel to probe lapses, if any and find the reasons that led to communal clashes, leaving four dead and 12 injured, here on Friday.

THE STATE Government today set up a high-level administrative inquiry panel to probe lapses, if any and find the reasons that led to communal clashes, leaving four dead and 12 injured, here on Friday.

HT Image

Principal Secretary Home Alok Sinha said the two-member administrative committee, headed by Agriculture Production Commissioner Naveen Chand Bajpai and comprising DG PAC Bua Singh, was asked to submit report in the next two days.

The two-member committee would look into the factors that led to communal clashes, fix responsibility for the lapses and make recommendations on the lessons to be learnt for the Friday’s incidents, he said.

Sinha said 20 companies of PAC and four companies of RAF were deployed and a close watch was being kept on the situation in affected areas. Additional eight companies of RAF would be deployed if needed, he said.

While no arrests were made for incidents, some persons were detained by the police,  he said adding arrests would be made after investigating the case that was registered in connection with the incidents.

Sinha said a state-wide alert was sounded to check such incidents in other parts. Replying to a question, Sinha said the State Government had already announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the incident. A sum of Rs 1 lakh would be paid to those seriously injured while those with minor injuries would get Rs 50,000.

Sinha said directives were issued to ensure free treatment of the injured. Post-mortem examination was carried out on the bodies of the deceased and the report was awaited, said Sinha adding the district magistrate and the district police chief reached the spot of the incident within 40 to 45 minutes though it remained a matter of probe for the administrative inquiry committee.  

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) on Saturday demanded a judicial probe into Friday’s communal clashes in Lucknow. UPCC chief spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh said questions were raised over the role of the district administration and the State Government in the communal clashes.

As the district administration remained a mute spectator to the incidents, an independent inquiry would be necessary to ascertain the truth, he said, adding the Samajwadi Party was trying to gain political mileage from the situation. A judicial probe would also help in ensuring action against the guilty officials, he said.