The death toll in Haldwani violence rose to six on February 13, after a 50-year-old resident, Mohd Israr, succumbed to bullet injuries.
Five were killed and 14 critically injured in violent clashes that broke out in Banbhooplpura area of Haldwani on February 8, during the demolition of a madrasa and mosque in an anti-encroachment drive by the Nainital district administration.
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Six more people were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the violence, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prahlad Narayan Meena told The Hindu. We have also recovered two country-made pistols from the accused, along with live bullets. The arrests were made on the basis of CCTV footages gathered from the violence site,” said Mr. Meena.
With the six new arrests, 36 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence so far. Police said that over 100 policemen were injured in Thursday’s violence. Three separate FIRs were lodged in the violence in which 5,000 unidentified persons were booked. On Thursday, miscreants gheraoed a police station, threw stones at officials, torched vehicles and public property after which shoot-at-sight orders were issued and curfew was imposed in the town.
‘Lost three family members’
Suhail, son of Mohd Israr who died on Tuesday, told The Hindu that his father had been in coma for five days after a bullet hit his skull. Israr’s brother and 16-year-old nephew had died the day the violence broke out.
“Three people in our family died in that violence in which we had no role to play. This is so unfortunate that poor and innocent pay the price in such situations,” said Mohd Suhail, elder son of Mohd Israr.
Police outpost set up
Meanwhile, within a day of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announcing that the government would build a police station on the land that was ‘freed’ during the anti-encroachment drive, the district police put up a temporary outpost at the spot. The outpost was inaugurated by two women sub-inspectors, who were badly injured in the violence.
The outpost was set up in the middle of the around one-acre land that was retrieved during the drive. A giant poster with words ‘dekh rekh police chauki’ (a police post to take care), Banbhoolpura police station, was displayed at the outpost
Mr. Meena said one sub-inspector and four constables have been deployed at the post. The Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and paramilitary security are also positioned at the spot.
