Violence-hit Uttar Pradesh town tense, SP removed

Yogi Adityanath

Three days after clashes between two communities left one dead and many injured, the situation in Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh remained tense but under control, as the Yogi Adityanath government on Monday removed the district SP Sunil Kumar Singh.

Sunil Kumar Singh has been replaced with Piyush Srivastava, who has been asked to join at the earliest, a government spokesman said.

Singh had earned the ire of the government for the Republic Day violence that followed initial skirmishes during the 'Tiranga Yatra' brought out by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (an affiliate of the RSS). He has been transferred to Police Training School, Meerut.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders remain in place while police presence was increased, the official said.

Director General of Police O.P. Singh has said that the National Security Act will be slapped on those behind the violence.

More than 100 people have been sent to jail under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for their alleged role in the violence that left one dead, another critically wounded and property vandalised and gutted.

Some stray incidents of violence have taken place since Sunday with a mob setting some kiosks on fire and assaulting some people in Bhargain. Home department officials said no untoward incident has been reported in the last 12 hours.

A Peace Committee has been formed by the district administration. It has been doing the rounds of the tension-hit areas and requested people not to pay heed to rumours.

Some illegal arms have also been recovered during raids at some places, an official told IANS, adding that the Local Intelligence Unit has been sensitised to keep a close watch on suspicious-looking elements.

Additional security forces have been deployed in the violence-hit areas and at Bilram Gate, Tehsil road, Lavkush Nagar and Baddu Nagar.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh to the family of Chandan Gupta, who was shot dead in the clash.

Officials who visited Gupta's house to hand over the cheque faced a hostile reception on Monday as locals and relatives raised anti-administration slogans.

"We will give you Rs 25 lakh, please give us Chandan back," inconsolable family members of the deceased told the visiting Amapur legislator Devendra Singh and Kasganj District Magistrate R.P. Singh.

After much persuasion, the family accepted the cheque even as the sister of Chandan threatened her father Sushil Gupta that if the cheque was encashed she will commit suicide.

The family also demanded that Chandan be given the status of a martyr, that the Chief Minister should come to console the family and that the guilty be brought to justice at the earliest.

The father of the youth also threatened self-immolation if his son was not declared a martyr.

Angry at a national TV channel showing Chandan as "one of the rioters", an irate mob tried to vandalise the OB van of the channel and manhandled the journalists.

The Akhil Bharatiya Mahaur Vaishya Mahasabha has demanded that the financial assistance to the family of Chandan be raised to Rs 50 lakh.

The police also claimed to have recovered a pistol, reportedly used to kill Chandan, from the house of an accused Shakeel.

The state government called the violence as a "political conspiracy" while the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) has termed it "ominous and unfortunate" and has appealed for calm.

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