By TCN Special Correspondent,
Bhopal: About a month after Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh witnessed a clash between police and members of the minority community, resulting in the lodging of criminal cases against several hundreds and then large scale arrest, a similar incident occurred in the Muslim-dominated old city area of Madhya Pradesh capital – Bhopal – on Wednesday (10th August). The incident almost went uncovered by the mainstream media.
The Talaiya police in Bhopal have filed 10 separate cases of arson, loot, burning, stone pelting and attempt to murder against 5000 named/unnamed people, overwhelming majority of them are Muslims. The police have filed cases against a number of residents of Islampura area like Anas, Ashraf, Faiz, Shahid, Maqsood, Jafar, Azhar, Sadiq, Akbar, Lal Langda, Sharique, Naushad, Sarfaraz, Ashraf, Reyazul Haque, Babar, Azeem, Nayeem, Sayeed Makranai, Farhan, Anzar, Jawed, Pervez and hundreds others. The police have started arresting them. Eleven have been arrested.
According to local Hindi dailies, two communities clashed in Itwara area of Old City of Bhopal on Wednesday night following a small dispute over mud being splashed by a bike. The small issue turned big and the two groups reportedly came head to head and weapons were pulled out. Reports say that houses were also put on fire.
When the police reached the site and tried to control the situation, the mob reportedly began stone pelting on the police and even opened fire on them. SP North zone Abhay Singh was critically injured in the incident. He was taken to Chennai where his eye was operated upon on Thursday evening. The doctors at the hospital said there was little improvement in Singh’s conditions even after the four-hour-long surgery.
Apparently to take revenge of the injury to the police officer, the local police have filed cases against 5000 people. Even three days have passed since the incident, terror is writ large in the area as it has been turned into a police camp. Tension is rampant.
In July, after an alleged desecration of Quran by raiding police team in Moradabad, local Muslims had come out in the street and clashed with the police. The DIG was reportedly injured in the incident and then the police wrecked havoc in the area. Cases were filed against hundreds of people and scores were arrested.
Bhopal police denies cases filed against 5000 people