Gorakhpur zone IG removed following communal flareup

Lucknow, Jan 31 (UNI) Close on the heels of suspending the DM and SSP of Gorakhpur for their alleged laxity in handling the communal flareup, the Uttar Pradesh government today transferred IG Gorakhpur (zone) Vinay Kumar Verma.

Mr Verma has been attached to the DGP office here and Jagmohan Yadav, who was so far IG (Meerut zone) was appointed as the new IG of the Gorakhpur zone.

The decision to transfer Mr Verma was made after violence spread to adjoining areas of the district, including Kushinagar, where a curfew was clamped in Padrauna following violence yesterday.

The state government on Monday had suspended District Magistrate Hari Om and Senior Superintendent of Police Raja Srivastava.

Mr Rakesh Goel and MrS K Bhagat were appointed as the new DM and SSP respectively of the riot-torn district.

The four police station areas, where curfew was clamped in Gorakhpur after Friday night violence have been turned into fortresses with heavy police bandobast. Companies of Shashtra Suraksha Bal (SSB), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed.

The administration has decided to withdraw the relaxation in curfew in the affected areas after one person was killed and another injured in an incident of firing on Monday night.

While two people have been killed, over five were reported injured in cases of violence and arson. Over 100 people have been rounded up for indulging in violence and arson, police added.

Miscreants had opened fire at a 'baraat' procession on Friday night, in which over 24 people were wounded in Ismailpur under Kotwali police station area at Gorakhpur.

Some people, trying to escape the shootout, entered a Moharram procession nearby, leading to a clash between the two groups. The situation turned tense after a wounded Raj Kumar Agrahari died at Gorakhpur Medical College.

BJP MP Yogi Adityanath was arrested for violating prohibitory orders followed by some violence by his supporters in Gorakhnath area to protest his arrest. Soon after, curfew was clamped on the Gorakhnath area too.

UNI