Details emerge from Ghaziabad violence: At least 6 killed in mob’s clash with police

A day after the violence that followed the alleged desecration of the holy Quran in Ghaziabad, it emerged that at least six people were killed in the rioting, during which several shops and at least 50 vehicles were destroyed.

Two people died of gunshot wounds, and four after injuries caused by blunt objects during stonepelting, the police said on Saturday. Witnesses said all six — Hayat (35), Asif (19), Wasim (18), Wahid (18), Amir(16) and Lukman (14) — might have been hit by bullets.

Some 25 people were believed to have been injured, 12 of whom are policemen, officials said.

Masuri and Dasna were deserted on Saturday, barring swarms of police and paramilitary personnel. "Section 144 has been imposed... The RAF and PAC are patrolling the streets and the railway station. We will review the situation tomorrow," Ghaziabad district magistrate Aparna Upadhyaya said at a news conference in the evening.

DIG, Meerut Range Zaki Ahmed said nine companies — each of at least 120 personnel — of the anti-riot Rapid Action Force and the UP Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed in Masuri and Dasna.

From accounts provided by policemen and civilian eyewitnesses, the trouble that escalated into what constables described as "absolute madness", began around 12.30 pm on Friday, when pages torn from the holy book were allegedly thrown from a train at Adhiatmak Nagar station.

Local people believed the torn pages had abusive words scrawled on them. "At around 6.30 pm, a group of 50 people led by the muezzin of the local mosque, Abdul Qadir, came to the police station to register a complaint," a police officer said.

"Police officials and some senior members of the community tried to pacify the crowd. A phone number written on the pages was called, and an abusive response was received," the officer said. "Policemen tried to tell them that the number would be put under surveillance, but the crowd kept growing, and becoming more restive."

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