Tension in Aligarh after mob clashes with police, 5 cops hurt
FLAREUP Agitators demand compensation for kin of two Muslim youths murdered on Monday
ALIGARH:: Tension prevailed in Aligarh on Friday after a group of people came face to face with the district and police administration in Upper Kot area, demanding Rs 25 lakh compensation for the kin of two Muslim youths who were murdered on Monday.
The protestors also sought government service for one member of the deceased’s families.
They pelted the police with stones, which led to confrontation and resulted in injury to five cops. The police then resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob. Soon, Aligarh city mufti, Khalid Hamid pacified the agitators while the administration also assured them that their demands would be put up before the state government.
Aligarh had been simmering with tension since Monday when a kachauri vendor, Suresh and his accomplices had allegedly gunned downed two Muslim youths, Wasim and Ashu, in the busy Railway road market.
Social media also played a role in Friday’s flare-up. While some people projected murder accused Suresh as a hero, others demanded hanging of the murder accused.
On Thursday, Muslim organisations and students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) had announced that they would stage a protest over the murder of Wasim and Ashu after Friday prayers and demand hanging of accused Suresh and his accomplices.
In view of the tense situation, the district administration deployed police force, PAC and RAF in the Muslim dominated area of Upper Kot where Jama Masjid is located. SP (city) Atul Srivastav said:
“Nobody will be allowed to disturb peace no matter how powerful he may be. The demands of the Muslim community will be recommended to state government.”
Aligarh city mufti, Khalid Hameed said, “Though the murder of Wasim and Ashu must be condemned but at the same time maintaining communal harmony is our duty.”
Suresh was arrested by the police on Monday itself, but a few people of Hindu community started projecting him as a hero on social sites, which triggered resentment among Muslims.
Former MLA Zameerullah Khan submitted a photocopy of the post of RSS leader Saurabh Chaudhry to the district magistrate and demanded action against him.
Meanwhile, the police expedited probe into the double murder.
The CCTV footage revealed physical clash between Suresh and Wasim outside Sarai Vairagi lane. But the police will take a final stand only after seeing the rest of the CCTV footage and THE PROTESTORS ALSO SOUGHT GOVERNMENT SERVICE FOR ONE MEMBER OF THE DECEASED’S FAMILIES investigate claims made by both parties in their FIRs.
“Security has been tightened in the city. Nobody will be allowed to take law into his hands,” said SSP Rajesh Pandey.