LUCKNOW: An uneasy calm prevailed in western UP districts including Meerut and Agra on Monday when certain protests held against the lynching of Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand went out of control and took a violent turn. Huge contingents of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed in the affected localities to maintain peace.
In Meerut, following a mild lathi charge on the protestors, who were taking out a march without district administration’s permission, the situation took a violent turn after a face-off between the protestors and the cops. Several companies of the police forces, PAC and RAF held a flag march in some localities and the district administration suspended the internet services to check any scope of rumour mongering on Sunday evening.
While the Meerut SSP Nitin Tiwari claimed that protestors gathered to protest in some localities like Fiaz-e-Aam College on Delhi road despite the denial of the permission for the protest. He claimed that they scuffled with the cops when asked to disperse and even raised anti-police slogans. As a result, mild force was used on them on Sunday to keep the situation under control.
On the other, Shahar Qazi Zainus Sajidin accused the cops of targeting the protestors without any provocation as the protests were peaceful against Jharkhand lynching. He charged the cops with denying permission to hold peaceful protest despite repeated requests.
Meerut Police, later, booked over 800 people, 50 of them named and rest unnamed across five police stations. They were booked under IPC sections 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and under 7 criminal law and amendment Act.
Similarly, in Agra, a mob protesting against the lynching of Tabrez Ansari started pressuring traders in some localities to down their shutters. When they refused, hundreds of protestors started pelting stones at the business establishments leading to a communally sensitive situation. This prompted the
district police administration to use force and chase away the unruly mob.
As per Agra police sources, over 2000 men started gathering for an unauthorized protest march after morning namaz demanding justice for Tabrez Ansari on Monday. They were stopped and asked to hand over their memorandum but some trouble makers indulged in brick-batting at cops. Later, five FIRs were filed and over 600 people were booked for the ruckus.