Lucknow, Oct 2: The irresponsibility of the organizers of ‘Ram Barat’ procession, a ritual during Dasara, and ‘Tazia procession’ commemorating the death of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, led to communal clashes at two places in Kanpur on Sunday leaving nearly 30 people, including five policemen, injured while nearly 10 vehicles and four shops were either set afire or ransacked.
According to police sources here, the trouble began when a ‘Ram Barat’ procession was passing by a mosque in the Rawatpur locality in the town. Miscreants from the two communities indulged in heavy stone-pelting injuring several people, including a few police officers.
On the other hand the organisers of Ram Baraat tried to prevent Tazia procession on Saturday night. As the issue was being resolved on Sunday morning, bricks were thrown from a temple on police teams involved in negotiations. Police then resorted to baton charge on the crowd.
Clashes erupted at Param Purwa locality when Tazia procession went straight through a pocket where another procession for Durga’s idol immersion was being taken. Tempers flared quickly and the two sides clashed, pelting stones at each other. Anti-social elements torched a police vehicle, ransacked a police outpost and shops and set afire five two-wheelers in the area.
Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob but were attacked with stones and bricks, leaving them injured.
SP (south) Ashok Verma and four other policemen were injured in Parampurwa while SP (west) Gaurav Grover was hit by bricks in Rawatpur. Officials admitted to firing in the air at both the places to control the situation.
ADG (law and order) Anand Kumar said extra police force, including two companies Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and one company Rapid Action Force (RAF), was rushed to assist the Kanpur administration in maintaining law and order. The situation was under control, he said.
Senior police officers rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. The cops detained a few persons on the charge of rioting, he added.
SSP Sonia Singh said trouble-makers were being identified through video footage and tough action would be taken.
According to sources, the local intelligence unit had warned the Kanpur police about possibility of communal clash in the city. It had mentioned that people in Param Purwa were stacking bricks and other projectiles.
Two police officers, Kalyanpur circle officer Rajnish Verma, Kalyanpur SHO B P Singh, were suspended for negligence in their response to the clashes. The action was taken on the report of the IG, Kanpur Range, Alok Singh.
A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident and action will be taken on the basis of a report submitted by the ADM, district magistrate Surendra Singh said, adding that National Security Act (NSA) will be slapped on trouble-makers.
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