The SP had said that provocative slogans raised by people of a Tiranga Yatra while passing through a Muslim locality had triggered the violence. He had also said that permission was not taken for the yatra. What the SP said about the incident has been established by video clips of the incident. He has now been transferred to the Police Training School, Meerut, in the same rank.

Caravan News

LUCKNOW — Sunil Kumar Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Kasganj district, was on Monday transferred to Meerut by the Yogi Adityanath government. The communal violence that erupted here on Friday had continued almost for three days during which dozens of shops and vehicles wee torched by rioting mobs. One person was killed while two others were seriously wounded. The IPS officer had not ruled out the possibility of a political conspiracy behind the Republic Day communal clashes in the district.

In the firing by unknown persons during the communal clashes on Friday, one young man Chandan Gupta was killed while a labourer Naushad was wounded. Another man identified as Akram Ali was hit with sharp weapon by a mob of rioters when he was in his car stuck in a traffic jam in the night on that day.

When asked by the media about any political conspiracy behind the violence, the SP had said that this cannot be said with surety but the possibility of it cannot be ruled out either.

Hours after the incident, BJP MP Rajveer Singh had reached the area and while addressing a crowd there he had allegedly given a provocative speech. He had also said that the probe will not be conducted by police officers of this district. The state government had announced to set up an SIT to probe the incident.

The SP had also said that provocative slogans raised by people of a Tiranga Yatra while passing through a Muslim locality had triggered the violence. He had also said that permission was not taken for the yatra.

What the SP said about the incident has been established by video clips of the incident. He has now been transferred to the Police Training School, Meerut, in the same rank.

The clashes erupted on Friday noon when about 100 people allegedly belonging to ABVP and Bajrang Dal tried to disrupt the flag-hoisting ceremony in a Muslim-dominated area in Kasganj town on the Republic Day. The residents were hoisting the Tiranga at the Vir Abdul Hameed Chowk on the occasion of the Republic Day when around 100 people carrying saffron flags and national flags reached there on bikes and tried to disrupt the event. The members of the bike rally insisted to pass through the bylane where the local Muslims had arranged chairs for celebration of the Republic Day. They began shouting communal and provocative slogans targeting the minority community and even allegedly asked them to hoist the saffron flag. As the situation got tense and heated arguments were exchanged between the two groups, members of the bike rally left the spot leaving some of their bikes behind. They reached another Muslim-dominated area shouting provocative slogans and this led to clashes and stone pelting from both sides there. Several shops and vehicles were torched by the rioting mobs.

During the clashes on Friday, Chandan Gupta, who was in the bike rally, was killed in firing by unknown persons while another one identified as Naushad got bullets in his leg. He is being treated in Aligarh. Till late night on Friday, rioting mobs continued arson and torching of properties belonging to the minority community. A mosque was also set to fire. Lakhimpur Kheri native Akram Ali, 37, who was on his way to Aligarh through Kasganj was assaulted by a mob that night. He was hit in the face by a sharp weapon. He was admitted at JN Medical College and Hospital in Aligarh where he was operated upon and reports said he has lost his right eye for ever.

After the cremation of Chandan Gupta on Saturday noon, the mobs again went on rampage and targeted several shops, buses and vehicles.

Though Section 144 was imposed by the district administration of Kasganj soon after the initial violent communal clashes on Friday noon, it has not stopped rioting mobs from looting and burning shops and torching vehicles despite the deployment of heavy armed contingent of the police and paramilitary forces.

The rioting continued on third day (Sunday) when a shop was torched here Sunday morning. The incident took place on the Eta-Kasganj border early morning when the entire area was covered with fog. Police and fire tenders reached the spot and doused the fire.

On Sunday evening, the state BJP government announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the family of Chandan Gupta, 22, who was final year student of B.Com. It is not clear if any compensation has been announced for the injured persons.

In the last three days, dozens of shops and vehicles have been torched by mobs of rioters.