Saharanpur, July 28
Curfew relaxation today passed off peacefully with no untoward incident being reported from any part of the city. People went out to shop for the essential goods.

Residents stepped out of their houses after two days following a relaxation in curfew in two phases. In the first phase, the curfew was lifted in Hindu and Sikh-dominated areas located in New Saharanpur from 10 am to 2 pm.

In the second phase, the people of Old Saharanpur, a Muslim-dominated area, were given relief when curfew was lifted from 3 pm to 7 pm. In both phases, the people lost no time in shopping for household goods.

District Magistrate Sandhya Tiwari said the relaxation in the curfew was peaceful. She said the peace and normalcy were returning to the town. The curfew was lifted under strict vigil of the security forces. The security forces neither allowed people to stay for long at the same place nor let them assemble in large numbers at shops. Several Sikhs and Hindus didn’t open their shops to lodge their protest against the incident. Three minor incidents of rioting were reported last night. The situation remained under control.

Three persons were killed and 33 others injured as communal clashes broke out here over construction of a hall at a religious place on Saturday. Mobs went on rampage, looting shops and setting them on fire. Besides, several vehicles were also torched.

Eidgah, situated on the Ambala road in Saharanpur, may pose a challenge to the administration and the security forces as Muslims would like to perform “namaz” (prayer) here on the occasion of Eid on Tuesday. Gurdwara Singh Sabha also falls on this road. Lakhs of Muslims perform “namaj at Eidgah on the eve of Eid.