From failed negotiations to ‘stones raining down’, what happened before, during Haldwani violence

On Friday, the administration took a tough line on what it called was a “planned” attack on the demolition team and the police, with the District Magistrate (DM) alleging “stones had been collected in advance” by rioters. The DM, Vandana, also alleged the mob had attempted to “burn the police personnel, who were trapped inside the police station, alive”. The Chief Minister said there had been an “attempt to kill” police and administration officials, while the Director General of Police said the stringent National Security Act will be invoked against 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 present to keep tensions from flaring.

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

According to eyewitnesses, the demolition started around 4.30 pm, and soon after it was complete, around 5.30 pm, stone pelting started, which escalated into 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.

An eyewitness recalled, “Soon after the structure was demolished, stones started raining down on the streets… the sorts used at railway tracks. In retaliation, the police used force and teargas. This went on for around 30-40 minutes.”

Dhami visited the district on Friday and met the injured police personnel. He said the anti-encroachment drive had been going on as per the court’s direction, and the administration had notified people beforehand. “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,” he said.

The DM said the property where the two structures are situated is registered as Nagar Nigam’s Nazool land – government land not officially mentioned in revenue records. She said that for the last 15-20 days, a demolition drive has been underway in connection with Nagar Nigam properties and to free the roads from 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,” the DM said, emphasising that more time was not given then 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,” she said, noting that all legal formalities were completed prior to 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 any 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, had however told The Indian Express on Thursday night 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 that 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 DM 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 alleged.

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”.

On the casualties, Senior Superintendent of Police Prahlad Narayan Meena said in the morning: “No unnecessary force was used by the police. There are injuries and deaths – the reason behind that is the mob trying to challenge the state, attacking the thana and the police. Force was used to ensure safety. There are two deaths, which we are trying to verify what caused it. We will send the bodies for postmortem. There are three seriously injured out of which one has a gunshot injury.”

Later in the day, Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar told The Indian Express that the toll stood at five.