4 min readMaharajganj (bahraich)Oct 15, 2024 05:14 AM IST
First published on: Oct 14, 2024 at 02:09 PM IST
A day after a 22-year-old man was killed amid communal clashes, police in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district Monday detained 30 persons in connection with the violence and murder. In the Maharajganj area, ground zero of the clashes, streets were empty — apart from police personnel who conducted flag marches. Internet services have, meanwhile, been suspended in Bahraich.
The clashes began Sunday evening after some locals allegedly asked for the music to be turned off as a Durga idol procession passed through a Muslim neighbourhood. A heated argument escalated into clashes and stone-pelting between two groups, police said.
The situation worsened when gunshots were allegedly fired, and a local resident, Ram Gopal, sustained a bullet wound, police said. He was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Police on Monday booked 10 people in the murder case, including four unidentified persons.
The case was registered at Hardi police station on the basis of a complaint by Ram Gopal’s brother Hari Milan. The complainant claimed that when Ram Gopal went to witness idol immersion at Maharajganj in Mahsi tehsil, he was allegedly dragged into the home of an accused identified as Abdul Hameed and shot. The complainant also alleged that his brother was attacked with swords.
On Monday, after Ram Gopal’s body was handed over to his family following a postmortem, a large group of people carried the body to Mahsi tehsil, where they staged a protest demanding death sentence for those involved in the murder. Protesters said they would not conduct the last rites if the demand was not met.
However, following requests by political leaders and government officials, the family agreed to conduct the funeral.
DGP Prashant Kumar said the situation in Bahraich is now under control. According to the DGP, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is closely monitoring the situation, and on his instructions, the search for those involved in the violence has been intensified. The police chief also urged local residents to remain vigilant against rumours and misinformation.
According to the police, the clashes saw homes, shops, and vehicles being pelted with stones, and a two-wheeler showroom in Hardi being set on fire.
Meanwhile, local residents in Bahraich, who had halted the immersion of Durga idols following the incident, have resumed the ritual after being assured by police and the administration that strict action would be taken against the perpetrators.
Police are using drones to keep a watch in the area and conducting raids to trace miscreants. They said they were identifying assailants using videos and photographs of the incident.
CM Adityanath directed ADG, Law and Order, Amitabh Yash and Home Secretary Sanjeev Gupta to be present at the spot. Four IPS officers and other senior police personnel were also deployed.
In addition, 12 companies of the PAC, two companies of CRPF, and one company of RAF were deployed to bring the situation under control.
Station House Officer of Hardi police station, Suresh Kumar Verma, and a sub-inspector have been suspended.
Without mentioning Bahraich, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a post X that it was “not a coincidence” that “worsening of the communal atmosphere” came ahead of upcoming by-elections.
“The public understands everything. Everyone knows whose old strategy is to resort to violence out of fear of defeat. This is the knock of the by-elections. If the government makes real, solid arrangements instead of superficial law and order measures, everything will be fine. But this will happen only if the government wants it to,” he wrote.
Motorbikes burnt following Sunday night violence during goddess Durga idol immersion, in Bahraich, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (PTI Photo) 
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