0 Comment(s) *
* The moderation of comments is automated and not cleared manually by indianexpress.com.
At least four vehicles were set on fire during the April 16 violence in the Dada Jalalpur village during a Hanuman Jayanti procession (Express photo)Following a court order, three separate FIRs have been registered against members of the majority community in connection with the communal violence that took place in a village in Roorkee during a Hanuman Jayanti procession last month, officials said Thursday. So far, the only FIR registered in connection with the violence in the Dada Jalalpur village named 13 people, all from the majority community.
“Three persons from the Muslim community reached the court and made a plea that their FIRs should be registered,” said P D Bhatt, the station house officer (SHO) of Bhagwanpur police station.
Bhatt said the first FIR registered has been filed under sections 141 (unlawful assembly), 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint of one Talim Ahmad. The second FIR, on the complaint of one Taukeer Ahmad, was filed under IPC sections 147, 148, 153A, 295A, 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).
“The third FIR is under sections 147, 148, 427, 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 392 (robbery) and 153A IPC, on the complaint of one Amzad,” he said.
Best of Express Premium
On the night of April 16, stone-pelting, violence, and arson took place in the village. The stone-pelting started when the Hanuman Jayanti procession of over a hundred people was passing through the Muslim belt in the village under the Bhagwanpur police station area at around 8 pm. The violence went on for around 30 minutes. As the violence was being brought under control by the police, another round of stone-pelting, followed by arson, took place around midnight.
An FIR was registered the next day on the complaint of one Pawan Kumar against 13 identified and several unidentified persons. The FIR was registered under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 147 (rioting) and 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon) of the IPC and named 13 people. So far, 14 people have been arrested, including both named and some who were identified later.
According to officials, three people have been named in the first FIR, 10 in the second and nine in the third FIR. All of them belong to the majority community and are from Dada Jalalpur or neighbouring villages. No arrest has been made in connection to these three FIRs.
More than half a dozen people were injured in the violence on April 16 and at least six vehicles were set on fire after a few houses were ransacked.
Talking to The Indian Express after the violence, DIG (Garhwal Range) Karan Singh Nagnyal had claimed that all those who lost their vehicles have denied filing a case in the matter. “We reached out to all those who lost their vehicles and asked them if they want to get a complaint registered. They, however, refused and said that they do not want any action,” said Nagnyal.
Abid, a local resident who lost his e-rickshaw to the violence and arson, denied the claim by Nagnyal and said that he gave a written complaint but no cognizance was taken.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
