UP police hunting for conspirators, abettors of Monday’s violence

A day after violence rocked several Uttar Pradesh districts during the ‘Bharat Bandh’ by Dalit organisations, the state police began a hunt to identify conspirators and abettors of the violence, even as the state limped back to normalcy.

Addressing news persons on Tuesday, DIG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar said police arrested 650 persons and registered 125 cases in five districts -- Meerut, Agra, Muzaffarnagar, Hapur and Saharanpur -- after Monday’s violence. “Interrogation of the persons was continuing.

The police are trying to find out the conspirators and abettors who provoked the people to indulge in violence. The police are also trying to identify the masterminds,” Kumar said.

In Deoria, chief minister Yogi Adityanath warned that his government would deal strictly with those taking law into their hands “to spread anarchy”.

“There is no space for violence in a democracy, where problems are solved through dialogue. But some people resorted to violence after they were misguided. Nobody will be allowed to attack innocent people,” CM said while addressing public meeting.

The arson and violence left two people dead and over a hundred injured in the state. A large number of vehicles and shops were set afire during the Dalit protests. The protestors also blocked movement of trains and vehicles. There were also reports of anti-social elements looting shops and harassing commuters.

The superintendents of police of all the districts have been directed to expedite the investigation and collect evidences of the violence. The police are also collecting video and CCTV footage to identify the miscreants involved in arson and loot. The officers have been told not to harass innocent people, Kumar said.

“The DGP office is monitoring the situation regularly. The superintendents of police of all the districts have been told to remain on alert. The situation is under control in all the districts. The state government has deployed Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in the violence-hit districts. If there is any untoward incident, action will be taken against the erring officers,” he said.

“Action will be taken against vandals under the Public Property Damage Act,” Kumar said.