12 more held for violence in Kannauj

KANPUR: Twelve more persons were arrested on Wednesday night in Kannauj in connection with the aftermath of October 22 violence.
Tension had prevailed while a Durga idol procession was passing through Lakhan Tiraha (tri-section) area of Kannauj on October 22 when some people hurled bricks and opened fire at the procession leaving one person dead while several others were injured.
Later, on the night of October 26, some unidentified persons damaged the boundary wall of a place of worship in Chintamani area. Similarly, in Ararawari locality, some persons stir up mischief by bursting crackers inside the premises of another place of worship, the police said.
"We have arrested 12 persons in a late night raid in various areas including Kazi Tola, Ludhpuri, Jalalpur Panwara, Kanshiram colony, Mubarakpur Tila, Kanoon Goyan and Jalapur Panchama on charges of involvement in arson and vandalism after violence erupted at Lakhan Tiraha on October 22. The entire area is being monitored. More arrests are likely in coming days," said Kannauj SP Kalanidhi Naithani.
"The interrogation of arrested persons is underway. They have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code," said Kannauj Kotwali inspector Bhullan Yadav.
According to police, after October 22 incident, a group of men resorted to arson and vandalism and damaged places of worship and several shops. The incident later snowballed into tension between two communities.
Meanwhile, a group of protesters including women gheraoed the Kotwali police station, on Thursday afternoon demanding the immediate release of “innocent” persons arrested by the police during late Wednesday night raid for their alleged roles in the cases of rioting.
According to sources, a group of women accompanying the protesters created ruckus inside the Kotwali police station where 12 persons were arrested in different cases of rioting on late Wednesday night.
The women barged inside the Kotwali police station raised slogans and demanded immediate release of the men while claiming that they were innocent and the police is harassing them unnecessarily.
Kannauj district magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha said, the situation is restoring towards normalcy, and police and administration are keeping a tight vigil on trouble-makers to prevent any untoward incident.