Five FIRs lodged, 52 arrested as uneasy calm prevails in Bahraich

Bahraich/Lucknow: As many as 52 people involved in arson and rioting in Bahraich since Monday morning have been arrested while five FIRs more have been registered by the police on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Bahraich police had registered a case of unlawful assembly and murder against 10 persons.
Senior police officials said no fresh incident of violence or arson took place after Monday afternoon even as the Maharajganj town and surrounding areas remained tense, with most shops and business establishments remaining closed and police conducting flag marches on Tuesday.
An armoured vehicle of the UP STF along with senior officers and a contingent of the RAF, 2 PAC units, were part of the convoy of 30 vehicles.
Officials said internet services remained suspended in the area, and police barricades were put in place to prevent outsiders from entering the town. The internet shutdown will remain in effect till Wednesday and may even be extended.
A few stray incidents of protests were reported in parts of the district Monday night, but police teams swiftly responded, bringing the situation under control before it escalated. Since then, raids have been underway to track down those responsible for the violence, police said.
The town of Maharajganj and the affected villages have been divided into five zones, with police and PAC deployed at 12 to 15 locations in each zone. A significant police presence, including PAC, was established at 13 points from the town's entry to the Rajee Chowk in Mahsi Block. Gazetted rank officers have been assigned to these checkpoints.
Among the five zones, two have been declared red zones. This includes Nathuapur, Sikandarapur, Sadhuwapur, Sipahiya Piyuily, Rehua Mansur, Chandpaiya, Mahsi Balhaura, Bahorikapur, Devaraypur Kapoorpur, Badi Goriya, Parsohana, Gangapurwa, Badariya, and Kabrian Purwa.
SP Bahraich Vrinda Shukla told TOI that five villages around the Maharajganj area were the most affected, along with three major crossings.
The SP added that teams were formed to arrest the accused in the murder of Ram Gopal Mishra.
Mishra was shot dead, and about half a dozen people were injured in stone-pelting and firing as communal violence broke out during a Durga idol immersion procession on Sunday. His last rites were performed amid heavy security on Monday.
Later, on Monday, several shops were set afire during the violence. In Sadhuwapur, Mahsi, motorcycles and kiosks were burned. In Mahsi's Bhagwanpur, an auto repair shop and a vehicle wash station were also destroyed by fire.
"A large police force has been deployed across the district, from Mahsi to the India-Nepal border, to maintain law and order," she said.
ADG zone Gorakhpur, KS Pratap, along with SDM Ashwani Pandey, CO Pradyumn Singh, and other senior officials, inspected the India-Nepal border.
Additional DG law and order, Amitabh Yash, and home secretary Sanjeev Gupta continue to camp in the clash-torn areas. Four SP-SSP rank officers, four deputy SPs, one company of RAF, and three additional companies of the PAC have been deployed, along with a large police force.
Meanwhile, members of Muslim community offered prayers at the shrine of Syed Salar Masood Ghazi in the city, seeking peace and harmony..