Haldwani toll 5, Dhami says ‘rioters tried to kill’ police, administration teams

On Friday, the administration took a tough line on what it called was a “planned” attack on the demolition team and the police. District Magistrate Vandana said that “stones had been collected in advance” by those who indulged in the violence. She said that the mob had attempted to “burn alive the police personnel,who were trapped inside the police station”.

Chief Minister Dhami, who visited the district Friday and met the injured police personnel, said there had been an “attempt to kill” police and administration officials.

Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar, who confirmed that the death toll in Thursday’s violence stood at five, said the stringent National Security Act will be invoked against the rioters.

The district, meanwhile, remained under curfew, with movement restricted, police deployed at every corner, and Internet services suspended. As many as 1,100 police personnel were deployed to prevent tensions from flaring.

At the police station, some personnel could be seen wearing bandages or plaster, while the streets were being cleared of charred vehicles.

According to eyewitnesses, the demolition drive started around 4.30 pm, and soon after it was finished, around 5.30 pm, stone pelting started, which escalated to arson and gherao of the police station. As the available police forces proved insufficient, reinforcements were brought in, and the situation was brought under control by 9 pm.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Rajendra Prasad (50), a Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) jawan admitted at the Soban Singh Jeena Base Hospital, said that although the PAC and other personnel had protective gear, PRD personnel did not. “By around 5.30 pm, the situation had spiralled. Stones were hurled and vehicles torched. I ran to save myself, but the lanes were narrow and stones were coming from all sides. A brick hit me on my left shoulder and everything went black. The next thing I knew I was in hospital. I was told a Sardar ji brought me in on his scooter,” said Prasad, lying on a bed in the emergency ward.

A woman police officer told reporters that she, along with 15-20 personnel, “entered a house to save our lives. We made calls to officials and sent them our location”.

Dhami said the anti-encroachment drive had been going on as per the court’s direction, and the administration had notified people in advance. “When police and administration teams went to remove the encroachment, they were attacked with petrol bombs, stones. There was arson, an attempt to kill. Some people tried to create tension in Uttarakhand. Strict action will be taken as per the law. Video footage of the whole incident is being retrieved, and those who damaged government and public property will be made to pay for it… we are with the people who got injured,” the Chief Minister said.

District Magistrate Vandana said the property where the two structures stood is registered as Nagar Nigam’s Nazool land. She said that for the past 15-20 days, the demolition drive had been underway to free the roads of traffic congestion.

“A notice, issued on January 30, required the encroachment to be removed within three days or for ownership documents to be provided. On February 3, several locals visited the Nagar Nigam to discuss with our team. They submitted an application and requested time to appeal to the High Court, agreeing to abide by the court’s decision,” she said, adding that more time was not given because sufficient time had already been provided.

“That night, our forces conducted a flag march in preparation for demolition the next day. However, the locals presented a 2007 High Court order issued to the then DM of Nainital regarding the disposal of an application. Unable to verify the legality of the disposal, we postponed the demolition to ensure adherence to proper legal procedures. We sealed the structure known as madrasa with consensus, confirming it was unoccupied,” the District Magistrate said, noting that all legal formalities were completed prior to the demolition.

“The following day, after the 2007 order was examined in our office, the party concerned sought a stay on the notice from the High Court. After a two-day hearing, the High Court declined to grant relief. Since our preparations for the demolition were already finalised, we proceeded with the drive,” she said.

Shakeel Ahmad, Councillor of Ward Number 31, under which the incident took place, however told The Indian Express that the High Court had not given a final decision in the case. “The next date of hearing was February 14 and when the administration came, we requested them to stop until then. We said we will not stop the administration from demolishing the structure if the court decision is against us. But they did not listen… If they had waited for the final decision of the High Court, there would have been no resistance,” he said.

The District Magistrate said the violence was not communal but an attack against the state machinery. “The mob was not trying to save the structure, but we felt they were just trying to attack the authorities. It was not against any community, but against the state authority and machinery. It was against the symbols of the state government,” she said.

She claimed that within half an hour of the demolition drive, anti-social elements had gathered on rooftops and started pelting stones. She claimed that when the legal process was going on, stones had been gathered, showing it was a planned attack to demoralise the state machinery. At least two BJP MPs, Harnath Yadav and Ashok Bajpai, also called the incident a “conspiracy”, the PTI reported.