Violence in Mathura over inter-faith elopement

Lucknow: Violence broke out in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday after a girl eloped with a boy from a different community, officials said.

After police failed to recover the girl in Sonkh town, locals set some items belonging to a religious place on fire, and resorted to violence in which some people were injured, an official from Magorra police station said.

District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar said the situation was now under control and "normal". Talking to IANS, he said that while police officials were hearing the complainant, some miscreants indulged in violence, and pulled out some items from a religious place and set them on fire.

Police personnel in high numbers along with one company of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed to contain any further violence. Following the incident, the state government late on Wednesday shifted Mathura police chief Manzil Saini and posted Rakesh Singh as the new senior superintendent of police.

"Teams have been formed to recover the girl and strict vigil is being maintained to ensure that no one takes law in their hands," a state home department official told IANS. Some people have been detained following some video evidence of their role in inciting the mob, the official said.

Locals say the girl went missing along with the boy last week. With no headway in the case, the residents lost their patience and resorted to violence on Wednesday. "We are trying to chalk out a solution and talks are on between the two sides. The girl is an adult," an official said.