Kanpur: As many as 2550 people, including women, were booked on Sunday in connection with clashes between two communities in various parts of the district over alleged desecration of a religious poster, police said. Cases have been registered in four police stations of the district, however no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city on Sunday.
On Saturday, two police officials were injured in violent clashes, forcing the administration to impose prohibitory orders in the area. Over ten people were also taken into custody.
Cases have been registered against 1,000 unnamed people in Chamanganj police station, 600 unnamed persons in Fazalganj, 800 in Sishamau, and 150 in Nuabasta, Senior Superintendent of Police Sulabh Mathur said.
Besides named FIR was registered against six persons in Fazalganj and five people who have been identified through the videography done by the police, the SSP said. In addition to the city police, nine companies of PAC, two companies each of BSF and CISF, nine companies of RAF and 40 commandos have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order, he said.
They are conducting flag march regularly to prevent any untoward incident, the SSP said. Five areas of the city were earmarked as sensitive and heavy police force has been deployed there, he said.
District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma, who was also part of the joint press conference said that no untoward incident was reported today from the city.
As a precautionary measure, shop-keepers were asked to keep their shutters down while eateries, medical stores and essential goods shops were allowed to operate, he said.
Sharma made it clear that no political party or religious organisation was behind this incident.
Meanwhile, the condition of two police officials, who were injured in the clashes was stated to be stable.
Violent clashes had broke out yesterday when members of one community accused the members of the other of “desecration” of a religious poster which was allegedly found torn in Darshanpurwa area under Fazalganj police station.
Members of the two communities pelted stones at each other in GT Road in Jarib Chowki, while two motorcycles were set ablaze near Sangeet Cinema.
“In total, around a dozen vehicles in different localities were destroyed by the mob,” police said.
Besides scuffles in Chamanganj and Darshapurwa areas, tension was also reported from Yashoda Nagar area.