The violence against police officials and the Haldwani Municipal Corporation team on Thursday (8th February) by a rioting mob left more than three hundred police officials injured. The Pushkar Singh Dhami-led state government issued shoot-at-sight orders and imposed a curfew in the Haldwani to bring law and order under control. As reported earlier, the rioting mob hurled stones at police officers and municipal corporation workers on Thursday as they arrived to demolish a madarsa-mosque built illegally on government land in compliance with the Uttarakhand High Court order.
After the incidents of stone-pelting and arson, a woman police officer detailed her horrifying ordeal during a media interaction. “We sought refuge in a house to shield ourselves from the stone-throwing, when approximately 15 -20 individuals barged in, attacked us, stones were being hurled on us from all the sides, even from the rooftops. They also attempted to set the house ablaze, evidently with the intent to burn us alive. They wanted to burn us alive,” the injured officer said.
"They wanted to burn us alive'
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) February 9, 2024
Lady officer in #Haldwani narrates how police were hiding in a house to save themselves from stone pelting and then around 15 people entered the house, assaulted them and then tried to set the house on fire with an intention to burn them aIive pic.twitter.com/esG2W8XvqR
The officer informed that the rioters abused the person who saved the police officials and damaged his house. “We barely managed to survive. There was stone pelting from all directions. The bylanes had been blocked. We managed to send out our locations. The man who saved us was attacked. His house was damaged. Eventually, the force came and rescued us. But even during the rescue, shards of glass were being thrown at us. We somehow made it through,” she said.
According to reports, six people have died in the violence. More than 300 police officers were injured in the attack by the Islamist mob. State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued orders to shoot rioters on sight. A curfew has also been enforced in Haldwani.
Another police officer who escaped the attack in Haldwani stated that the rioters came from the streets and hurled stones. The police officer claims that bullets were fired at him when he returned. Machete-wielding Muslim rioters opened fire on them. They destroyed a municipal corporation tractor, a patrol vehicle, and many motorcycles.
पत्थरबाज़ी आगज़नी कट्टे#हल्द्वानी
— ANUPAM MISHRA (@scribe9104) February 8, 2024
pic.twitter.com/ztft3LHw0n
In another video, a police officer shows his injuries and describes how he escaped from the riots. A Sikh police officer has also been injured in the violence.
हल्द्वानी पथराव में घायल पुलिसकर्मी की आपबीती सुनिए
— Avinash Pujari (@Avinashpujari02) February 8, 2024
“भगवान की कृपा से बच आ गया”#Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/S5YFIbNKsI
A video of the police officers injured in the attack has also emerged. The police officers are receiving medical treatment. It is seen in the video that one police officer suffered injuries on his head and another got injured on his hand.
#हल्द्वानी में नगर निगम द्वारा तीन एकड़ ज़मीन पर कब्ज़ा करके बनाए हुए मदरसा एवं आधी बनी हुई मस्जिद गिराने के बाद हुए पथराव में घायल पुलिस वालेpic.twitter.com/vi6rqPLdyI
— ANUPAM MISHRA (@scribe9104) February 8, 2024
In a press conference on Friday, Nainital DM Vandana Singh said that the Haldwani violence against the police and municipal corporation team was pre-planned. “The demolition drive started peacefully, the force was deployed for prevention…Stones were pelted on our Municipal Corporation’s team…It was planned that the day the demolition drive will be conducted the forces would be attacked…The first mob with stones were dispersed & the second mob that came in had petrol bombs. This was unprovoked and our team did not use any force…,” Singh said.
#WATCH | Haldwani violence | DM Nainital, Vandana Singh says, "The demolition drive started peacefully, the force was deployed for prevention…Stones were pelted on our Municipal Corporation's team…It was planned that the day the demolition drive will be conducted the forces… pic.twitter.com/JL098EatbW
— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2024
Notably, internet access has been discontinued in Haldwani after the Thursday violence. Schools and colleges are also closed in Haldwani. Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state chief minister, has appealed to the people to maintain peace.
It is to be noted here that a Malik Colony resident named Safia Malik and others had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on 6 February 2024 seeking a stay on demolition of the said madarsa and mosque and challenged the notice given by the Haldwani Municipal Corporation to the petitioners.
On Thursday (8th February) the Uttarakhand High Court held a hearing on the PIL. The vacation bench of Justice Pankaj Purohit refused to grant relief to the petitioners in the matter. The next hearing is scheduled for 14th February. After the hearing, the court didn’t make any comment on the matter. The order just said, “List this matter on 14.02.2024”. After the court did not grant relief to the petitioners seeking a stay on the demolition exercise, the Haldwani Municipal Corporation and local police arrived at the madarsa-mosque to demolish it in compliance with the court order.
