Saharanpur violence: 30 people arrested

SAHARANPUR: As many as 30 people were today arrested in connection with the incidents of stone pelting and torching of vehicles and a police post in Saharanpur, which has been witnessing caste-based violence since May 5.

District Magistrate N P Singh said the situation is now under control.

He and Senior Superintendent of Police Subhash Chandra Dubey held a meeting with local representatives of political parties. The two senior officials asked them to help in maintaining peace.

The SSP said the police will scrutinise CCTV footage to identify and arrest the people involved in stone pelting and torching of the police chowki and vehicles yesterday.

The SSP said Rampur Maniharan police have arrested 11 persons for stone pelting on vehicles on the Saharanpur highway. Rest were arrested from different police station areas.

The district magistrate said the district has been divided into five zones and 19 sectors for better maintenance of the law-and-order situation and a magistrate has been tasked to keep an eye on the situation.

He said an assessment of the losses caused due to the yesterday's violence is being done.

Also, SP (City) Sanjay Singh and SP (Rural) Rafeeq Ahmed have been transfered from Saharanpur, official sources said. While Prabal Pratap Singh is the new SP (City), Vidya Sagar takes over from Ahmed.

According to police, an organisation of Dalits had sought permission to hold a 'mahapanchayat' yesterday in the city's Gandhi Park to demand compensation and relief for those affected in last week's inter-caste clashes.

SSP Dubey has said the district administration had not permitted any such gathering. Police acted against the people gathered for the 'mahapanchayat' which led to tension and a stampede-like situation.

Several commuters were manhandled and their vehicles set on fire. Some mediapersons were also beaten up and their vehicles damaged.

Police teams were pelted with stones. A police 'chowki' was set ablaze while several police vehicles were damaged.

Last week, one person was killed and at least 15 people, including a police officer, were injured as members of two castes clashed over loud music being played during a procession.

The incident led to more violence with brickbats and arson; while 15 to 20 Dalit houses were torched, many vehicles, including those of the police, were torched.