Violence escalates in Bareilly; SP injured

Defying curfew, irate mobs on Friday torched vehicles and road kiosks and clashed with the police, leaving a superintendent of police and five other personnel injured in Bareilly, which has been hit by communal violence since March 2.

Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Brij Lal said in Lucknow that unruly elements indulged in heavy brick-batting and arson in Sanjay Nagar and Subhash Nagar localities, forcing the police to use tear gas shells and fire rubber bullets, even as curfew continued in four police station areas.

About half a dozen policemen including SP  Rakesh Jolly were injured in the stone pelting, the ADG said, adding that three people received injuries from rubber bullets. The mob set ablaze at least four vehicles and road side kiosks.

There has been no relaxation in curfew, which was clamped about ten days ago and due to prevailing tension, force deployment has been increased in the troubled areas along with a PAC commandant, four additional superintendents of police and deputy superintendents of police, the ADG said.

Ten more people have been arrested in connection with the arson today, taking the total number of those arrested to 276 so far.

Earlier on Thursday, members of a community defied curfew and went on a rampage in the old city areas to protest the release of Sunni cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, who was arrested on charges of inciting violence.

Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Legislative Assembly Rajesh Agarwal and former Member of Parliament Santosh Gangwar also staged a dharna before the district magistrate's residence. The government has already transferred the DM  and senior superintendent of police of the district.