Kasganj riot: Yogi vows action; 1 victim claimed to be dead says, I'm alive

Barring stray incidents of attempts by miscreants to disturb peace, the situation in violence-hit Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh remained peaceful on Tuesday. Police teams led by Inspector General (IG) Sanjeev Gupta raided some houses in Baddu Nagar and picked up four suspects for interrogation.

In a related development, a young man rumoured to have been killed in the communal clashes surfaced on Tuesday and trashed reports of his death. The 24-year-old youth, Rahul Upadhyaya, said his death was falsely reported and after he was informed of this by a friend he has come forward to announce that he is fine.

Upadhyaya was the second youth who had been reported to have been killed in the violence along with Chandan Gupta. The news had gone viral on social media, fuelling anger among the people of the violence-hit district.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in an oblique reference to the Kasganj violence, on Tuesday said that lumpen elements and lawlessness will not be tolerated in the state. "My government will make lives of such people who disrupt peace miserable," he told a gathering at an event in Gorakhpur, his one time parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, notices of impounding of property were pasted on the houses of 13 accused who are absconding.

Under pressure from locals, police also released eunuch leader Pooja Kinnar, who was picked up for questioning by police on Monday night. Eunuch groups had alleged victimization and had alleged that police were unnecessarily harassing their leader and trying to implicate her in the rioting.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sadar, Devendra Pratap Singh informed that so far 38 persons arrested for violating prohibitory orders have been granted bail. Superintendent of Police (SP) Piyush Srivastava, who was posted in Kasganj only on Monday informed that a total of 113 persons have been arrested under various charges.

District officials said that the town by and large remained calm and some shops and markets which were closed since the violence broke out on the Republic Day, during the 'Tiranga Yatra', opened for some time on Tuesday and that internet services which were banned from Friday were restored on Tuesday evening.

The countryside however remained tense with some places witnessing some attempts by miscreants to disrupt peace. Some disturbance was reported from Ganjdundwara and Amapur, following which some families migrated to safer places.

Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Anand Kumar told IANS that a peripheral wall of an Eidgah was damaged by some miscreants in the wee hours of Tuesday but the local communities came together and sorted out the issue.

"The locals showed enough maturity and told the police that the damaged wall will be repaired with their funds," the high-ranking official informed. He also said that there was no violence after evening on Republic Day though there have been stray incidents where some mischief makers tried to torch some vehicles or vacant wooden kiosks.

He added that a SIT with the "best and most competent investigators" was already in place to look into all aspects of the violence and assured that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Police patrolling has been increased and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) continues to be deployed at sensitive places. Two companies of RAF and seven companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been stationed in the district.

Director General of Police (DGP) O.P. Singh also issued a circular to all district police chiefs to ensure that communal harmony is maintained in their respective districts. The circular has also directed SPs and SSPs to step up vigil in communally sensitive areas and ensure police presence and patrolling there.

The circular, the first since Singh assumed charge of the top post, has directed police officials to be proactive in reacting to 'small flash points' and 'settle them promptly' so that they do not flare up into big incidents.