India: Riot in Kanpur and Kanpur police lodges FIRs against 2564 people (Two reports in The Times of India)

The Times of India

Riot rocks Kanpur over damaged religious poster
Faiz Rahman Siddiqui & Abhinav Malhotra,TNN | Oct 25, 2015, 03.40 AM IST

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KANPUR: A police inspector and a reserve inspector suffered bullet injuries following indiscriminate firing by rioters in an escalation of violence that had erupted in the Babupurwa area here over damage to a religious poster late Friday night.

"Two policemen, including station house officer of Badshahi Naka D K Singh and reserve inspector Yogesh Sharma, were hit by bullets fired by rioters in Chamanganj area." Said SSP Shalabh Mathur.

"They were rushed to a hospital. Some locals also suffered injuries in stone throwing by a mob, which also vandalized private and government property. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the city and security has been stepped up," said Mathur added.

Police said clashes erupted on Friday night over tearing up of a religious poster. On Saturday afternoon, the situation turned ugly when agitators demanded action against the culprits and staged a protest. By the evening, the situation had worsened with groups of rioters taking to the streets and indulging in heavy brick-batting and firing. Several vehicles were torched by angry mob near Zarib Chowki area, police said.

READ ALSO: BSF conducts flag march after violence leaves 1 dead in Kannauj

The protesters later staged a road blockade where a 'tazia' procession was to be taken out, which further escalated tension in other parts of the city.

Senior officials including district magistrate (DM) Kaushal Raj Sharma, SSP Shalabh Mathur and others rushed to the spot and instructed the locals to remain indoor.

However, the mob again relented to brick-batting after which the police dispersed them using by resorting to lathi-charge and tear-gas shells.

Panic gripped and people locked themselves up in their houses and the shutters of the shops in the nearby markets such as Gumti, Darshanpurwa, Jarib Chowki had been pulled down.

Rumours did rounds and the officials appealed people to not to pay attention to the rumours and to maintain calm and peace.

The traffic movement had been suspended on the Kalpi road between Fazalganj and Jarib Chowki. The traffic movement therefore, remained diverted. The police had cordoned off the area. To avoid any kind of backlash, heavy force had been deployed in the lanes and the bylanes of the congested area having mixed population of the two communities.


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The Times of India

Kanpur police lodges FIRs against 2564 people after Saturday's violence
Abhinav Malhotra,TNN | Oct 26, 2015, 02.00 AM IST

Kanpur police lodges FIRs against 2564 people after Saturday's violence
Police in action after a communal violence occurrence in Kanpur on Saturday. (PTI Photo)
KANPUR: Taking stern action against the miscreants belonging to the two communities who had indulged in stone pelting, arson and firing, police have lodged FIRs against a whopping 2,564 people including women.

These FIRs have been lodged in four police stations of the city including Chamanganj, Sisamau, Fazalganj and Naubasta where disturbance and unrest had been caused. Also 50 more people have been identified who were involved in Saturday's violence and arson. The police have taken into custody about eight people with whom thorough investigations are underway.

The police is now gearing up to slap NSA against the main culprits who incited the mob and led to the massive unrest. The senior police officials have constituted a team which would identify the people against whom unnamed FIR has been lodged. The riot control scheme had been implemented in the affected areas.

Talking to the newsmen Senior Superintendent of Police Shalabh Mathur informed that FIRs have been lodged against 2564 people of which named FIR has been lodged against 14 people. He said that FIR include women also. "In Chamanganj police station FIR against 1000 people and in Sisamau, FIR against 800 people stands registered. In Fazalganj, FIR against 600 people and in Naubasta, FIR against 150 people has been lodged.

Also named FIR against 14 people stands registered. These FIRs have been mentioned under different sections including 147, 148, 149, 295, 353, 307, 427, 336, 188 IPC. 7 Criminal Amendment Act (CLA) has been slapped against the culrpits. Further, NSA would be slapped against them", said SSP while giving a break-up of the FIRs launched and action taken so far. He added that Damage to Property Act has also been slapped and recovery cost of damaged vehicles would be taken from the miscreants.

Giving break up of the force provided to the city to deal with the current situation, SSP said that nine companies of PAC, two companies each of CISF and BSF and one company of RAF are assisting police in tackling the situation. Also 40 commandos of Anti-Terrorist Squad have been provided who are conducting flag march, he said.