Heavy police deployment in Shahpur,10 held
The communal violence-hit Shahpur locality remained tense under a heavy police deployment on Thursday. The police arrested 10 people and detained five more in connection with the incidents.
The communal violence-hit Shahpur locality remained tense under a heavy police deployment on Thursday. The police arrested 10 people and detained five more in connection with the incidents.
Jt. CP Satish Sharma told mediapersons that security in the sensitive parts of Ahmedabad has been stepped up. As many as 1,600 personnel,including six companies of State Reserve Police Force and two of Rapid Action Force have been deployed. Some 200 personnel from Ahmedabad City Police,two SP rank officers,6 DySPs and two inspectors have been called in from outside the city.
He later told The Indian Express that the police initially had no clue that rioters were using acid bulbs
“When the first FIR was lodged,we did not know that acid bulbs were being used. There was a comprehensive FIR related to the marriage procession and the clashes that broke out after it passed by the mosque. We will be registering a separate FIR on the murder of Vijay Dantani. It was only after his death that we realised that acid bulbs were being used by miscreants,” said Sharma.
A total of 12 cases have been registered,the police said. The clashes have claimed one life and 22 people,including policemen,have been injured. Nine of the cases were registered by the Shahpur police,others by the Madhvpura and the Kalupur police. The police lobbed some 180 tear gas shells and fired 22 rounds in the air to control the mob in the last three days.
The Shahpur police arrested four persons while the Madhvapura police arrested five. Those arrested from Shahpur include Viresh Sheth,Ritesh Sheth,Fazal Ahmed Sheikh and Mohd Yusuf Sheikh.
Kailesh Chaudhari,Hetal Thakor,Rajesh Thakore,Nitin Dabhi and Dinesh Yadav were arrested from Madhavpura.
Incidentally,Viresh Sheth is the BJP ward secretary in Shahpur. BJP president Rakesh Shah said he did not know exactly what happened and under what circumstances his party office-bearer was arrested.
“At the moment,we are not concerned about who did what. The priority is to restore peace and prevent further trouble in the area,” he said.
Inspector M B Nayak of Shahpur police station said the accused were caught at Delhi Darwaza and Shahpur on Wednesday night for allegedly attacking passers-by and creating trouble.
Elsewhere,the Sabarmati police today evening arrested Pradeep Sharma,head of the local outfit — Hindu Samrajya Sena — on charges of instigating riots in the Walled City areas. Sabarmati police inspector B. R Der confirmed the arrest.
Meanwhile,Sharma’s supporters gathered at the police station in large numbers demanding his immediate release,insisting that he had no role to play in the riots.
The police said the accused have been booked for unlawful assembly,rioting,offenses committed in prosecution for a common objective,and endangering life.
Political claims and counter claims continued on Thursday,with the state Congress leaders calling on the Governor and alleging that the clashes were “inspired’” by the state government.
Elsewhere,the BJP said the Congress had “misused” the CBI to “demoralise” the police to let antisocial elements wreak havoc in the state.
Meanwhile,the Ahmedabad unit of Jamaat-e-Islami urged compensation for those affected by the clashes. Organisation chief Ilyas Qureshi lauded Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his swift response to contain the riots.
The Communist Party of India,Ahmedabad dubbed the violence part of a “political conspiracy”.
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