Nine arrested for Surat violence

The Surat City Police have arrested four VHP workers in connection with Thursday8217;s desecration of a mosque while allowing the main culprit...

The Surat City Police have arrested four VHP workers in connection with Thursday8217;s desecration of a mosque while allowing the main culprit, VHP8217;s city unit general secretary Utkarsh Patel, to get away. After waiting for two days on Saturday when police finally decided to arrest Patel they found him missing from his house. He has now been declared wanted.

Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha said, 8220;We have arrested four VHP workers in connection with the attack on the Morcha mosque. We have CDs of the attack on the mosque. We also have the names of those who instigated the VHP workers to attack and those who instigated the minority community members to indulge in stone pelting.8217;8217;

Sinha said, 8216;8216;He Utkarsh Patel is declared wanted in Thursday8217;s incident.8217;8217;

Sinha said Thursday8217;s desecration of the mosque and the retaliatory stone-pelting incident on Friday were both pre-planned. Four VHP workers and five members from the minority community were arrested for their roles in the two incidents. The police chief also said the attack on the mosque by the VHP was pre-planned and was aimed at spreading communal tension in the city.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested five people from the minority community residing in Bhatena area on charges of rioting in connection with Friday8217;s stone-pelting incident at Salabatpura area. They are Saiyed Ahmed Vajir Shaikh, Wasim alias Pappu Mushtaque Shaikh, Nasir Khan Pathan, Khalil Shaikh and Kamaluddin Shaikh.

While the police are investigating the motive behind the two incidents, sources in the Intelligence Bureau said the state government had asked for a detailed report on both incidents.

On Thursday, the VHP had organised a demonstration programme outside the Parag House 8212; 100 metre away from the Morcha Masjid at Udhana Darwaja. But later the programme changed and instead of Parag House the VHP workers demonstrated outside the Morcha mosque.

Story continues below this ad

The VHP leaders allegedly sneaked into the mosque and indulged in vandalism, by damaging tubelights and furniture.