20 arrested, curfew remains in force in Saharanpur

SAHARANPUR/LUCKNOW: An uneasy calm prevailed in violence-hit Saharanpur on Sunday where 20 people were arrested even as curfew and shoot-at-sight orders remained in force following clashes between two communities over a land dispute.

Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Mukul Goel said, "No incident has been reported since yesterday. Curfew is in force and is being enforced strictly."

He said steps were being taken to normalise the situation at the earliest. "It has been directed that action should be taken against whosoever is found guilty," he said in Lucknow.

Saharanpur District Magistrate Sandhya Tiwari, who toured the violence-hit areas, said, "The situation is better than yesterday. I have to just impose law and order in the city and the situation is quite normal now."

She said 20 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.

On the land dispute, Tiwari said, "I'm not going into it....The construction is on hold."

Three persons were yesterday killed and 19 others, including policemen, injured in the clashes as mobs indulged in arson after which curfew was clamped and shoot-at-sight ordered.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC have been invoked in the district and curfew was clamped in six areas, according to Commissioner, Saharanpur, Tanveer Zafar Ali.

Meanwhile, a political blame game has begun over the violence with Congress accusing the UP government of "administrative lapse" while BJP alleged that Samajwadi Party was indulging in "vote-bank politics".

Reacting to the charges, Samajwadi Party said there was an effort to "disrupt peace in the state" and that there was "no place for communalism, anti-social elements".