Shahjahanpur sees communal clashes, over 300 booked

SHAHJAHANPUR: Over 300 people have been booked for rioting and damaging public property during a clash between two communities in Shahjahanpur’s Banda block on Saturday. Police had to use tear gas and resort to lathi charge to disperse the mob. A contingent of PAC, along with police force, has still been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident. A local journalist was also booked in this FIR for allegedly spreading rumours, although no arrests have been made so far. Police officers are taking steps to pacify both communities.

On Saturday afternoon, a member of a local committee administering a place of worship allegedly assaulted a minor girl from another community for selling rakhis outside the shrine and people from both sides gathered in large numbers. After a heated argument, both communities pelted stones at each other and fired in the air, leaving over 12 people injured, including two policemen, while several vehicles were also damaged.

District magistrate Amrit Tripathi, Shahjahanpur senior superintendent of police S Chinappa and additional superintendent of police Subash Chandra Shakya had to rush to Banda with PAC after the situation went out of control. After controlling the situation, the district administration conducted a meeting with community leaders to minimize the negativity spread between both the communities.

The market in Banda remained closed even on Sunday and police did a route march throughout the day for maintaining peace in the area. Police went through all the photographs and videos of the riots to identify the accused. So far police have identified 70 persons among the 300 booked in the FIR under sections 146 (force or violence used by unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 148 (rioting with deadly weapons) of IPC and other charges. Police have also filed an FIR under sections 354 (attempting to outrage the modesty of a woman) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC against the member of place of worship’s managing committee, who had injured the minor girl selling rakhis.

SSP Chinappa told TOI, “Though the situation is under control, the force will remain in the area for a while. We have detained a few persons to record their statements.”