SSP transferred, 2 officials suspended as Aligarh remains tense

Aligarh, Apr 7 (UNI) Soon after two senior officials were suspended in wake of the riots here, the state government today removed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Anand even as the death toll rose to five with recovery of one more body this morning.

Akhil Kumar, district police chief of Kanpur (Dehat), takes over as the new SSP, an official spokesman said in the state capital, adding that Anand has been attached to the Director General of Police (DGP) office in Lucknow.

Earlier, the state government had suspended ADM (City) Satyabhan and SP (city) S K Verma of Aligarh for failing to control the violence. D P Singh has been appointed the new Aligarh SP (City).

Five persons were killed in the violence in the communally-sensitive town, forcing authorities to impose indefinite curfew in three police station areas yesterday.

Reports of fresh incidents of firing and stone pelting were reported from Bhujpura bypass after a corpse was recovered this morning.

A large contingent of police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in the curfew-bound areas where as the situation was described as 'tense'.

Last rites of the four persons killed were performed last night under tight security arrangements.

The violent incidents commenced in the sensitive Dahiwali Gali area yesterday afternoon, over a dispute pertaining to decoration at a makeshift temple for Ram Navmi. Incidents of firing and stone-pelting between two communities were reported.

However, communal tension first sparked off Wednesday night, resulting in stone pelting, firing and destruction of public property in the area. Though the police quelled the violence, tension erupted once again yesterday and soon spread to other parts of the city.

Later, curfew was clamped on Kotwali, Sasni Gate, Delhi Gate, Banna Devi and Gandhi Park police circles.

At least 100 persons had so far been arrested in connection with the communal flare up, while a compensation of Rs five lakh each has been announced to the kin of the deceased. Financial assitance of Rs one lakh and Rs 50,000 has been announced for those with serious and minor wounds respectively.

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