NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: Five persons were killed and over 50 others injured in Haryana, including a cleric and a couple of policemen, after communal clashes in Nuh and Gurugram that began on Monday. In Gurugram, a mosque was set on fire and its cleric was murdered by a mob past midnight.
Five persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the arson attack on the Anjuman Jama mosque in Sector 57 of Gurugram. The dead cleric was identified as Maulana Saad (26). Sources in the Gurugram Police said the mob reached the mosque past midnight, opened fire on its inmates and set it ablaze. The cleric succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to a local hospital.
Apart from Sector 57, there were reports of sporadic violence at various locations in Gurugram throughout the day. In the afternoon, a mob set an eatery on fire and vandalised adjoining shops in Badshahpur. Reports said the mob specifically targeted shops of a particular community, ransacked them and chanted religious slogans.
There were also reports of some shanties being set on fire on Kadarpur Road, but there was no official confirmation. In Sector 66, several eateries and scrap shops were either ransacked or set on fire. Besides, some meat shops were vandalised near Pataudi Chowk.
The overall situation in Gurugram remained tense.
Earlier in the day, peace committee meetings were held in Nuh and Gurugram’s Sohna town where senior members of both communities were asked to help identify the accused and restore social harmony. In all, about 70 people have been detained and 44 cases registered so far. As many as 125 private vehicles, eight police vehicles and three emergency vehicles were set afire during the clashes.
The VHP decided to hold protests across India on Wednesday and demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the attacks. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar claimed the attack appeared to be part of a larger conspiracy, as the VHP’s Samajik Yatra in Nuh had been taking place annually for the past several years without trouble.
Police force beefed up to maintain peace
Sixteen companies of the Central Police Force have been stationed in Nuh and its surrounding areas. In addition, 30 companies of the Haryana Police have been deployed. Additional police forces have been called from neighbouring districts as well to maintain peace in the region, said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.