CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI: Two suspects, wanted for their alleged involvement in Nuh communal clashes in which six people died and 88 were injured, were today arrested after a brief encounter with the Haryana Police. They were allegedly returning to Haryana from Rajasthan where they were hiding for some days, police said.
Gurugram Police Commissioner Kala Ramachandran said violence in areas like Badshahpur, Sohna, and Pataudi was not pre-planned but random flare-ups. “To date the interrogation and investigation have revealed it was all random. We have a case when men were having drinks and then decided to participate in a communal flare-up,” she said.
She said the situation was normal in Gurugram city though miscreants have tried to ignite communal hatred. The police have registered 37 cases in the communal flare-up and of the 93 detained, 80 have been released on bail.
About action against AAP leader Javed Ahmed, the prime accused in the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist during Nuh violence, she said investigations were on. “We cannot divulge the details of investigations. Further details will be revealed in due course,” she said. To ensure a thorough investigation into the communal clashes, a special investigation team has been formed to probe the Sector-57 mosque arson case in which an Imam, Muhammad Saad was killed.
The Haryana Police is on the lookout for suspects who allegedly came from Rajasthan and rioted, targeting the cow vigilantes to “avenge” the killing of two Muslim youths, Nasir and Junaid, belonging to Rajasthan earlier this year. Haryana Police said at least a dozen social media groups have been traced to Pakistan.
Sources said the two suspects, Munfeed Khan and Saikul Khan of Gawarka village in Tauru, tried to evade a police team and were intercepted near a hillock of Sakho village in Tauru area of Nuh district. “The suspects opened fire at the police team. One of them was injured in the leg when the police fired back. One country-made gun, a pistol and a motorbike were seized from them.
Munfeed, who has a bullet injury in his leg, has been admitted to Nalhar Medical College for treatment, Mukesh Kumar, DSP of Tauru, told the media. Police spokesperson Krishna Kumar said the encounter lasted about an hour. Sources said the police cyber cell has traced a dozen social media groups to Pakistan. These groups were being run on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Telegram with thousands of followers from across the Mewat region of Haryana and Rajasthan and were allegedly spreading hatred. Most of the suspects held were active members of these groups.
“They declared cow vigilantes as ‘kafirs’ and urged the local Meo community to punish them. Though the chats have been deleted by the majority we are trying to retrieve the data. The Rajasthan Police are also looking into similar accounts with numerous followers in Alwar and Bharatpur districts,’’ said a police official. It is learnt that a YouTube account in the name of ‘Ahsan Mewati Pakistani’ with 273 videos and 80,000 followers was spreading unrest. It has now been taken down.
Sources said of the arrested, four are from Ghatmika village of Nasir and Junaid who were allegedly killed by cow vigilantes. The police are in search of at least 50 others who hailed from Alwar and Bharatpur. The suspects have reportedly confessed to having carried out arson in order to avenge the killing of two Muslims allegedly by cow vigilantes, including Monu Manesar. They had made separate WhatsApp groups to carry out arson, asking members to “avenge” the killings.