By TCN Staff Correspondent,
Lucknow: Sectarian violence on the occasion of Moharram procession left over two dozen injured in Meerut and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred on Friday while police registered cases in the incident on Saturday.
Meerut:
The incident occurred in Abdullahpur village under Bhawanpur police station of Kithoure circle in Meerut district. The genesis of the incident is related to the Moharram procession which was taken out by the Shias. As per reports the was a majlis at the house of one Abid Abbas. Shias were taking out procession with drums. The procession when it was outside the houses of Sunnis identified as Islamuddin and Jamaluddin objected to heavy beating of drums outside their house. This led to altercation and soon brick batting started between two sects. Several rounds of fire were also reported. One of them Bilal son of Ali Zaheer got bullet injuries.
The police force of Bhawanpur police station was inadequate to tackle the situation. Heavy police force was rushed from district headquarters along with Rapid Action Force which brought the situation under control.
Meanwhile, two mosques Abu Baqr Masjid and Jama Masjid in the area were also damaged. It further fuelled the situation. Later when police force arrived, they cane charged the rioters.
Bilal, injured in firing has been admitted to Anand Hospital.
On Saturday, heavy force was deputed in the area. IG Meerut Ashish Gupta too took stock of the situation. DM and SSP too reached the village. Four cases were registered at Bhawanpur police station in this regard. In these cases 78 people have been named by Shia sect while Sunnis have named 7 people. Three persons namely former corporator Nadeem, Khurshid and one other have been arrested.
Administration held meeting with the elders of the village for maintaining peace in the village. Meanwhile, the Local Intelligence Unit had reportedly cautioned the administration about the violence before the incident. It has stated that as the procession reaches the Masjid of another sect at a time when people are offering namaz, the situation can become volatile.
Moradabad:
The incident is reported to be between two communities at village Mithauli under Hazrat Nagar Garhi police station. It was sparked when the procession of Moharram was diverted which was objected by other community. Both of them came to face to face resulting in stone pelting. However here the situation was controlled by the police.
Police registered two FIRs and arrested 11 persons which included nine from one community and two from other community.
Meanwhile, police security has been spruced up in all the areas on the occassion of Yaum-e-Ashura on Sunday.