A week after a Muslim mob attacked police and administration in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, the police have revealed that Muslim women wearing ‘burqa’ pelted stones at the police personnel. According to reports, these women are now being identified by police as part of the investigation into the widespread violence that shook Haldwani on 8 February. The unrest transpired during the legal demolition of an illicit madrasa and mosque resulting in six fatalities and 300 others injured including several policemen and policewomen as well as common citizens.
Police are keeping an eye on the Muslim women in the Islamic veil who stirred up disturbance during the violence in Banbhoolpura. They also pelted stones at the police personnel when the encroachment was being cleared, as per Senior Superintendent of Nainital Prahlad Narayan Meena. He stated that “under the cover of the burqa, women miscreants also pelted stones at the police personnel and created a ruckus.” He mentioned that the culprits are being recognized based on the CCTV footage and they will be held accountable.
Meanwhile, on 15th February the local administration declared that the curfew that was put in place after the violent confrontations between Muslim mobs and authorities would be temporarily eased in Banbhoolpura town in the Nainital district. According to an order issued by District Magistrate Vandana Singh, curfews in Gaujajali, Railway Bazar and FCI godown would be relaxed from 9 am to 4 pm. The curfew in the remaining portion of Banbhoolpura will be lifted for two hours, from 9 to 11 in the morning. The outer regions of Banbhoolpura have already been relieved from the curfew that was initially enforced throughout the entire town.
Over 300 police officers, administrators and journalists have been injured in the chaos which claimed six lives. The Muslim crowd even set fire to a police station and tore the clothes of female cops. A little over Rs 8 crore worth of property has also been damaged in the mayhem. The district and police administrations have expressed the intention to collect the losses sustained during the occurrence from the rioters.
Notably, after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that a police station would be erected on the site of the unlawful construction, the Nainital Police set up a makeshift police outpost on the recently cleared land parcel in Banbhoolpura. It was inaugurated by the female cops who were injured in the upheaval. Uttarakhand authorities have registered three First Information Reports (FIR) against 5000 unnamed, and 19 known individuals.
The Nainital Police arrested 30 offenders and seized pistols, guns and other ammunition from them. SSP Nainital revealed that police have recovered 99 of the police ammunition looted by the agitators when they attacked Banbhoolpura police station on 8th February. He added that efforts are underway to apprehend the main perpetrator, Abdul Malik, who is believed to have planned the attack at the location known as “Malik Ka Bageecha.” The authorities have slapped a recovery notice of Rs 2.44 crores on him for damage to government properties and vehicles.
