Ghaziabad police suspect a single gang to be behind Kanwariya violence

For the past two days, no violence was reported in the district and police suspect that the group may have moved out of the district

Senior officers of the Ghaziabad police are looking at the involvement of a single group behind the recent incidents of violence in the district during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra. Since no new incident of violence was reported over the last two days, police believe that group may have moved out of Ghaziabad.

Huge drums, speakers and with DJ sets were seen in the Kanwar Yatra at Nandgram on Delhi-Meerut Road, in Ghaziabad, on Wednesday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

“We sense that there is a pattern behind the incidents of violence which started from Haridwar, moved to Muzaffarnagar, from there to Meerut and then to Ghaziabad. It appears that an unruly group or groups resorted to violence. For the past two days, no violence was reported in the district and we suspect that the group may have moved out of the district,” said Dinesh Kumar P, additional police commissioner.

The Kanwar Yatra season began on July 22 and will continue till August 5.

On July 25, several pilgrims allegedly beat up a contractual worker near the Muradnagar canal area for asking them not to sit on a fence that he was erecting.

On July 27, dozens of angry Kanwariyas beat up a Honda City car driver in Muradnagar after the car mistakenly entered the lane reserved for Kanwariyas from Modinagar and drove till Muradnagar. Police booked the driver in that case.

On July 29, Kanwariyas damaged and overturned a Bolero SUV with a ‘police’ sticker on the Delhi Meerut Road near Duhai. That vehicle too entered the lanes reserved for Kanwariyas and brushed past one of them. The driver was booked in that case too.

On July 29, Kanwariyas beat up two transgenders who were trying to dance with them in Ghookhna on Delhi Meerut Road. Thereafter, a group of Kanwariyas tried to shut liquor shops in Sahibabad and vandalized them before moving ahead to Delhi, police said.

In connection with the vandalism of liquor shop in Sahibabad, the police registered an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 191(2) (violence by unlawful assembly), 324(4) (causing loss or damage) and 125 (rash and negligent acts).

“The FIR was filed by the liquor shop owner,” said Rajneesh Upadhyay, assistant commissioner of police, Sahibabad.

The FIR mentions three to four unidentified men and a woman.

“We have directed all police stations to inquire and ascertain whether a specific group was involved in all these incidents. For that, the officials will scan pictures, CCTV and video footage from Ghaziabad,” Dinesh Kumar P said.

A DCP rank officer said the police are presently busy with overseeing that the Kanwariyas pass peacefully through Ghaziabad district.

“Currently, all administrative arrangements are being taken up and monitored to ensure that Kanwar Yatra moves out peacefully. After that, other legal formalities will be taken up,” the officer said while asking not to be named.