According to reports, communal tension erupted in Meerut after some people of Muslim community beat up a Dalit boy. The incident took place in the Bhagat Singh market area near Hapur Adda in Meerut. The victim Dalit boy Ankush works as a sweeper in a complex situated in the market. One of the attackers identified as Shahrukh, son of Yunus, owns a tea shop on the first floor of the complex where the victim works as a sweeper. Ankush used to clean the shop of Shahrukh as well.
According to Ankush, while other shopkeepers in the market pay him regularly, Shahrukh always delays payment. This time also, Shahrukh has not paid him money for several months. Therefore when he went to Shahrukh’s shop to demand payment on Sunday morning, Shahrukh refused to do so. This started a heated argument between the two, and after that Ankush was assaulted by Shahrukh and few other people present in the shop. After that Ankush called some of his friends and clash erupted between the two groups, and the shop got damaged in the process. The fight stopped when police arrived after some time.
On the other hand, Shahrukh claims that it was Ankush who started the fight. He says that Ankush and some of his friends came to his shop and started smashing things, which led to the fight.
Meanwhile, the owners of other shops in the area closed their shops after the fight started and started sloganeering. Some people also jammed the Hapur stand, creating a huge chaos.
On getting the information about the incident, the police arrived on the spot quickly fearing a communal clash as the area is communally sensitive. The DIG sent the police forces from the nearby stations. Police also cleared the jam at Hapur stand after dispersing the crowd.
The matter finally settled after SP City took cognisance of the matter and pacified both the parties. The injured were admitted to the nearby hospital.
