Curfew in parts of Aligarh continues; 2-8 hrs relaxation

Aligarh, Apr 12: Curfew imposed in parts of Aligarh after Thursday's communal flare-up continued for the sixth day today, even as the authorities announced relaxations between two hours and eight hours in five police station areas.

Police sources said curfew was relaxed for two hours. from 1000 hrs to 1200 hrs, 1300 hrs to 1500 hrs and 1600 to 1800 hrs in a phase manner in Kotwali, Sasni Gate and Delhi Gate police station areas.

However, the curfew has been relaxed from 1000 hours to 18 hrs in Banna Devi and Gandhi Park police station areas where a two-hour relaxation was given yesterday also.

Indefinite curfew was clamped in Delhi Gate, Sasni Gate, Gandhi Park, Banna Devi and Kotwali police station areas last Thursday after two groups clashed forcing the police to open fire to control the situation.

Eight people were killed and 16 injured.

The district authorities yesterday relaxed curfew from 1500 hours to 1700 hours in Gandhi Park and Banna Devi police station areas but no relaxation was allowed in Delhi Gate, Sasni Gate and Kotwali police station areas.

In Lucknow, State Principal Secretary (Home) S K Agarwal claimed that the situation was fast returning to normal.

Keeping in mind the sensitive situation, the district administration has banned the entry of political leaders into Aligarh.

On Monday, fresh tension erupted in Aligarh town after the body of a youth buried on Sunday -- being identified as member of the minority community during autopsy -- was found to be that of the son of BJP MLA Devkinandan Kori.

Police had earlier buried the body of Triloki alias Vicky, 25, terming him as ''unidentified.'' He was killed in police firing on April 8 in the curfew-bound Sasnigate area.

The body was exhumed and handed over to father Devkinanadan Kori, BJP MLA from Sasni in the nearby Mahamayanagar (Hathras) district.

Meanwhile, the two-member high-level committee comprising principal secretary agriculture Arun Kumar Mishra and DG Police Headquaters S K Rizvi to probe the outbreak of communal violence has started its job. It has been asked to submit report by Saturday next.

At least 225 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 by the state government.

An additional sum of Rs 2.5 lakh compensation was announced by the Centre as well.

Taking serious note of the violence, UP government has already suspended six officers inlcuding DM R K Singh, SSP Ajay Anand, SP City S K Verma, ADM Satya Bhan, Circle Officer M P Singh and an SHO.

Bhuvanesh Kumar and Akhil Kumar had been posted as the new DM and SSP respectively.

Rapid Action Force (RAF), Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and civil police had been strengthened to control the situation, an official spokesman said.

UNI