CHANDIGARH: Special Investigation Teams (SITs) will be formed to probe 44 cases of communal violence registered in Nuh and Gurugram, the Haryana Police said two days after the riots.
The toll went up to six on Wednesday as Bajrang Dal functionary Pradeep Sharma (32) succumbed to injuries at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. In all, 116 people have been arrested so far. Director General of Police P K Agrawal said, “If there was any conspiracy, it will also be investigated and the guilty will not be spared.”
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As for Bajrang Dal member and alleged cow vigilante Monu Manesar, his role in the clashes is being probed, the police said. Rumours of his presence at Monday’s VHP procession were the alleged trigger for the riots. Manesar is accused of the killing of two Muslim men in February. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the Rajasthan Police was free to act against Manesar.
Nuh and Gurugram remained tense but peaceful. Curfew in Nuh was relaxed for two hours though most people chose not to step out of the home. The state government formed a three-member panel to scan all social media platforms from 21-31 July to check for inflammatory posts, Haryana home minister Anil Vij said.
To prevent future flare-ups, the police decided to permanently deploy an India Reserve Battalion comprising around 1,000 personnel at Nuh. Also, the Police Enforcement Bureau will be given the responsibility of cow protection in Nuh.
In the Supreme Court, a special bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V Bhati allowed the VHP to hold protest rallies but asked the Delhi, UP and Haryana governments to ensure there is no hate speech.
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