The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

LETTERS

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

Muzaffarnagar Mayhem
Curfew relaxed in three areas; toll 35
Tribune News Service and PTI

Lucknow, September 10
Curfew was today relaxed in the three areas of trouble-hit Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh even as the death toll in the clashes in the district and adjoining towns mounted to 35.

The curfew was relaxed from 3.45 pm to 5.30 pm in Kotwali, Civil Lines and Nai Mandi. The curfew had been clamped following the incidents of communal violence on Saturday.

Home Secretary Kamal Saxena said five more deaths were reported since last evening, taking the total number to 35. As many 32 people have reportedly lost their lives in Muzaffarnagar, while one death each has been reported from Meerut, Saharanpur and Baghpat districts.

Deaths in the communal violence was today reported from two more districts of Meerut and Saharanpur taking the total official deaths to 35.

Sixtyseven persons from Muzaffarnagar have been injured in the clashes. Six people from Saharanpur and seven from Baghpat are undergoing treatment for injuries received during the classes.

IG (Crime) Ashish Gupta said cases under NSA had been filed against at least five persons and many more are likely to be booked. Three persons booked under the NSA are involved in the Baghpat violence while two are reportedly responsible for the killing in Saharanpur.

Gupta maintained that 975 arrests have been made in these districts since yesterday. Cases have been lodged against 7,000 persons under the IPC Section 107/16 and 975 persons under Section 151. As many as 1,820 weapon licences have been suspended. Issuing a stern warning, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, “The state government would deal strictly with all those who have tried to create communal divide and harm the atmosphere of Muzaffarnagar and Uttar Pradesh.

“It would be our efforts that communal amity is strengthened and the areas where situation has been brought under control no new incidents are allowed to take place”, he said after a Cabinet meeting here which took stock of the recent developments.

The SOs of police station Meerapur and Bhaurakalan in Muzaffarnagar have been suspended for dereliction of duty as an unusually high number of incidents took place in their jurisdiction.

None of the 40 high profile politicians and other public figures against whom the police had filed an FIR yesterday have been arrested. They had delivered inflammatory speeches at the mahapanchayat at Nagla Madod on the September 7.

Centre advisory

The Centre has asked the Akhilesh Yadav government to tighten security across the state and ensure riots do not spread. In an advisory, the Home Ministry told the UP government to deploy adequate security forces in all sensitive areas.

Mulayam’s defence

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh on Tuesday defended the Akhilesh Yadav government saying it took stern measures and the situation was brought under control in two days