The Uttar Pradesh government has sent a report to the Centre giving details of the communal violence in Kasganj, where one person was killed and two others were injured, and the steps taken so far, an official said on Wednesday.
The state government’s report contains details about the arrests made by the UP Police and circumstances leading to the death of the lone victim Chandan Gupta.
The government conveyed to the Union Home Ministry that the police are investigating the case and all facts are being ascertained to know if the violence was pre-planned.
Besides the death of one person and injury to two others, at least three shops, two buses and a car were torched during the clashes following stone-pelting by a mob on a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate the Republic Day.
As many as 118 people have been arrested in connection with the violence while security forces are maintaining a tight vigil.
Earlier, videos of mob brandishing guns and sticks in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj region appeared on social media and video of Kasganj’s violence victim Chandan Gupta surfaced on social media.
In the visuals of one of the video, Chandan can be seen driving a motorcycle along with other riders, who are waiving the tricolour and saffron flags. In the video the riders can be heard shouting “bharat mata ki jai” and “Vande Mataram”, according to media reports.
In an another video, which surfaced on social media, unidentified youths can be seen brandishing swords, sticks and guns.
As per media reports, the police are investigating the authenticity of the video and sequence of the footage, which is purportedly recorded on 26 January. Not long after the video, mobs had vandalised multiple shops, house and buses.
The video which was shot from a rooftop also has several gunshots sounds.
Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parsihad (VHP) is demanding a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for Chandan’s kin and stated that the compensation should be at par with with Mohammed Akhlaq’s, who was lynched by a mob in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly storing and consuming beef.
The situation in Kasganj is slowly returning to normalcy with no untoward incident reported in the past 24-hours, said a home department official.
Peace Committees are also doing the rounds of the affected areas. The director general of police (DGP) OP Singh has issued a circular directing SPs and SSPs to step up vigil in communally sensitive areas and ensure police presence and patrolling there. The circular has also urged the police personnel to be proactive in reacting to ‘small flash points’ and ‘settle them promptly’ so that they do not flare up into big incidents.
The police have also been asked to be vigilant about social media and ensure that inflammatory and communally sensitive posts, pictures and videos do not find way to social media sites and are not distributed through mediums like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.
Instructions have also been issued to install CCTV cameras at vantage points and in communally sensitive areas.
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The state authorities also presented a cheque of Rs 20 lakh to family members of Chandan Gupta, who was killed in the violence.
At least three shops, two buses and a car were torched after Gupta was killed in clashes following stone- pelting by a mob on a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate Republic Day.
Volunteers of organisations like the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Hindu Mahasabha and ABVP had taken out the rally – ‘Tiranga Yatra’. After passing through the Kotwali area, they were about to pass through a Muslim dominated area when some people objected to its passage.
This resulted in heated exchange of words and eventually escalated to firing in which Gupta lost his life, according to officials.
As many as 118 people have been arrested in connection with the violence following which security forces are maintaining strict vigil.
District authorities in Kasganj, said the situation was returning to normal even as more arrests were being made in connection with the violence.
The state authorities also presented a cheque of Rs 20 lakh to family members of Chandan Gupta, who was killed in the violence.