Haldwani remained tensed on Friday following clashes between the police and an unruly mob as the administration alleged that violence was pre-planned by the rioters.

According to the Nainital district administration, rioters used a five-day notification period to plan violence and terrorise people.

Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh said on Friday that the mob went on the rampage leading to lawlessness in the town without any provocation by the police deployed at the Malik-ka-Bagicha area where illegally built structures were constructed.

“The more time they were given in the notification for the removal of the illegal structures voluntarily, the more they prepared for the violence. It was a planned move by the mob. They prepared for the voilence and arsoning from February 3 to February 8″ said Vandana Singh while sharing details of the Thursday evening incident.

Singh said the preparation of the mob for the violence was evident from the stones amassed and used to pelt at the security forces. First, they pelted massive stones at the security forces before the situation could be brought under control. Then they threw petrol bombs which were also tackled by the police. Here, after they gheraoed the Banbhulpura police station and attacked the cops inside with a plan to suffocate and kill them.

“Mob was not protesting for the desecrated illegal structures but trying to challenge the state machinery and the symbols of statehood. They posed as if they were above the law,” Singh said, adding none of the accused would be spared by the law enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, the curfew clamped on Thursday night by the district administration curfew continued in Haldwani for more than 24 hours. More than 1,100 security personnel, including state police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and paramilitary forces were deployed to maintain law and order in the leadership of the district administration in Haldwani nearly 50 kilometers from Nainital.

On Thursday, a huge mob from the Banbhulpura police station area attacked a Haldwani municipal corporation’s anti-encroachment squad and its escort of security personnel as the latter demolished two illegally built structures on government land at Malik Ka Bagicha area. The mob torched vehicles, attacked people, and vandalised public properties.

According to the district administration, four persons died and three were critically injured in the clashes between the police and the mob. Nearly 300 security personnel were also injured.

According to the police, four persons were arrested for inciting violence while the arrest of a dozen more was in the offing as security forces had identified more accused who provoked the mob.