Incident

Journalist and photographer killed in Muzaffarnagar clashes, India

Cause of death

Crossfire

Details

Original headline: 12 killed in Muzaffarnagar communal violence; Army deployed in affected areas

Army staged a flag march in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar today where the toll in communal clashes between members of two communities climbed to 12 while 40 were injured. Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported from villages in Meerut where two people have been killed while seven are said to be wounded.

"Twelve people have been killed in the clashes and the toll is expected to rise as some people are missing. Police is searching for them," district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said. According to reports, 30 persons have been arrested in the case so far. Curfew has been clamped in Civil Lines, Kotwali and Nai Mandi areas of the district where the Army has been deployed along with five companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary, five of Rapid Action Force and the police. The Army has also been deployed in some areas of neighbouring Shamli district as well. The district administration will decide whether to impose curfew in five rural areas in the district after analysing the situation there.

"Curfew could be extended to rural areas if situation fails to improve," said Sharma. There were reports of clashes from Kutba-Kutbi village and Sikandarpur village in Muzaffarnagar district on Sunday. Trouble first broke out in the district on August 27 after a molestation incident in Kaval village. The man accused of the crime was stabbed to death, prompting his community to lynch two members of the other community. After an uneasy calm, fresh violence erupted on Saturday in the wake of a mahapanchayat to demand withdrawal of cases registered in connection with the Kaval clashes. As the communities clashed again in Shahpur village, there was firing and stone-pelting in several places, UP ADG (law and order) Arun Kumar said in Lucknow.

A TV journalist Rajesh Verma, working with IBN7 channel, was shot dead during the communal strife on Saturday while a police photographer was beaten to death. In Meerut's Niloha village, one person was killed and six injured in clashes after a religious place was allegedly found damaged.

On Saturday, one person was shot dead and one injured in a stray incident of violence in Hastinapur village. In a press statement, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav called the incidents of violence sad and unfortunate and said strict action will be taken against those found guilty. He also announced Rs.10 lakh each to the families of all those killed and Rs. 50,000 to the families of those seriously injured. He also announced assistance of Rs. 15 lakh to the family of the journalist, Rajesh Verma Meanwhile, in the wake of communal tension in Muzaffarnagar in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, a high alert has been sounded across Uttarakhand. Chief secretary Subhash Kumar has asked the administration and the police force to be vigilant especially in Dehradun, Haridwar and Udhamsingh Nagar districts which border on Uttar Pradesh in view of the volatile situation in Muzaffarnagar, official sources in Dehradun said on Sunday.

Principal Secretary (Home) Omparakash held an emergency meeting with police and transport department officials and asked them to divert the route of Uttarakhand Roadways buses going to Delhi via Paonta Sahib instead of Muzaffarnagar. He also asked them to divert the routes of Uttarakhand bound buses originating from Delhi in view of the current situation prevailing in Muzaffarnagar, they said.

>> Read the original article here Source: Hindustan Times