On Monday, the Bahraich police arrested 30 persons in connection with the violence and murder following a 22-year-old youth was killed in an alleged communal clash. Clashes in the Uttar Pradesh district started Sunday evening following some locals allegedly asked for the music to be turned off as a Durga idol procession passed through a Muslim neighborhood. Police said, ‘A heated argument lead into clashes and stone-pelting between two groups’.
The situation worsened when the gunshots were fired allegedly, and a local resident, Ram Gopal Mishra, sustained a bullet wound, said the Police. He was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. On Monday, after Mishra’s body was handed over to his family following the postmortem, a large group paraded the body to Mahsi tehsil, where they staged a protest demanding death sentence for those involved in the murder. Protesters said they will not conduct final rites otherwise.
The family agreed to conduct the last rites following requests by senior political leaders and district and government officials. According to the police, the clashes saw homes, shops, and vehicles being pelted with stones, and a two-wheeler showroom in Hardi area being set on fire.
Meanwhile, Senior administrative and police officials rushed to the spot and tried to calm the protesters. Police also set up barricades to prevent the outsiders from entering the area where the protest was taking place. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed Additional Director General, Law and Order, Amitabh Yash and Home Secretary Sanjeev Gupta to be present at the spot.
Meanwhile, local residents in Bahraich, who had stopped the immersion of Durga idols following the incident, have resumed the ritual after being assured by the police and administration that strict action will be taken against the accused. Police are using drones to keep a watch in the area and conducting raids to trace miscreants. The police are identifying the assailants using videos and photographs of the incident.
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