Director General of Police OP Singh claimed a major breakthrough in the Kasganj communal riots after Saleem, the prime accused in the killing of Chandan Gupta, was arrested on Wednesday.
"We have made a breakthrough in Kasganj incident with the arrest of Saleem on Wednesday,” said Singh while confirming that the Kasganj police was on the job and the remaining accused too would be arrested soon. Without elaborating on the recovery, the DGP said that some items have been recovered from his possession.
"The arrest of Saleem was not only on the basis of allegations made by deceased Chandan's father but investigations too pointed of his involvement in the killing," Singh said.
On the issue of Pakistani flags and sloganeering during Tringa Yatra on Republic day which led to the violence at Kasganj, Singh said that a threadbare and transparent probe was underway and more facts would emerge soon. The DGP also said that they were analysing the seqence of incident so that corrective measures could be taken.
Sources said that prime accused Saleem was kept in the custody in Kasganj Kotwali where police officials were interrogating him.
However, the police was yet to arrest his two absconding brothers - Waseem and Naseem and preferred to skirt the issue. The three brothers- Waseem, Naseem and Saleem- were accused of firing at the Tringa Yatra in which Chandan was killed on the fateful day.
The DGP further said that the government was committed to ensuring good law and order in the state and see to it that Kasganj like incidents did not recur. He said that all SSP/ SPs have been instructed to ensure law and order at any cost.
Meanwhile, the situation in strife-hit Kasganj and adjoining areas continued to be tense but under control on Wednesday. The cops were on high alert after Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu outfits on Wednesday announced the taking out of Tiranga Yatra to protest the Republic Day violence.
The Tiranga Yatra would be taken out in Kasganj, Ferozabad, Agra, Farrukhabad and other districts, a VHP functionary said in Lucknow on Wednesday.
District Magistrate of Kasganj, RP Singh said on Wednesday that the situation was peaceful and there were no report of any violence in the last 24 hours. The police has so far arrested 164 persons and Section 144 of the CrPC was still enforced in the district.
Ksganj district authorities prohibited the entry of any political leader in Kasganj and hence two delegations - one of Congress and the other of Rastriya Lok Dal, were denied entry into the district.
Congress MLA Vivek Bansal, who was to lead the delegation, was arrested from his Aligarh residence on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile the SIT, set up to probe the violence, was yet to come to any conclusion despite several videos depicting that the Tringa Yatra by ABVP in Kasganj had violated norms and their activists were firing in the air.