Sahranpur: One killed, seven injured in fresh violence

One dalit was killed and seven others, including a woman were injured in Sahranpur after they were allegedly attacked by a mob.

As per reports, the group was attacked when they were returning home from riot-hit Shabibpur after meeting BSP chief Mayawati.  

Prior to Mayawati’s visit, a group of unidentified people had set fire to at least 12 houses owned b the Thakur community in Shabibpur, said SP (city) Prabal Pratap while speaking to the city.

Retaliating to this, the mob ambushed and attacked Mayawati’s supporters with sharp-edged weapons near Chandpur village under the purview of Badgaon police station.

A dozen individuals sustained injuries, with eight of them getting seriously injured. These people were rushed to hospital of which one – identified only as Ayush – a resident of nearby Suakhedi village was declared brought dead, while the condition of the remaining seven was said to be serious.

The district magistrate N P Singh and SSP Subhash Chandra Dubey rushed to the village with additional forces to pacify the communities. “Our priority is to maintain peace and ensure that injured get proper treatment,” said the SSP refusing to make any comment on the fresh violence in Saharanpur before and after Mayawati’s visit.

However, as news of the incident spread, Dalits in the city allegedly indulged in rioting and stone pelting at some places, forcing closure of markets.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has rushed a team of senior officials from Lucknow to take stock of the situation. The team includes, IG Special Task Force (STF) Amitabh Yash, Home Secretary M.P. Mishra, ADG Law and Order Afitya Mishra and Director General securities Vijay Bushan. The team will guide and assist the police and district administration to restore normalcy in Saharanpur.

Mayawati during her visit to the village held the BJP-led UP government responsible for the violence and alleged that the ruling party had failed to stop its own brigade from attacking weaker sections.

Saharanpur has been in the grip of caste violence since April.

On May 5, a Dalit group had objected to a procession of Thakurs in Shabbirpur to mark the birth anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap, triggering violence, in which one person was killed and over 15 were injured.

Dalits say upper caste Thakurs had earlier prevented them from installing a statue of BR Ambedkar on the premises of the Ravidas temple in the village.

Members of the Bheem Army, a Dalit group, had on May 9 torched a bus and set a number of two-wheelers afire after the administration had turned down their request to hold a mahapanchayat in Gandhi Park to demand compensation for those affected in the May 5 inter-caste clashes.

With PTI Inputs