Officers suspended, police say attacks in Ghaziabad planned

Violence due to 'political intent', mob carried sophisticated weapons.

Two days after mob violence claimed six lives, Masuri police station in-charge was suspended and the circle officer transferred. Officers from the local intelligence unit were also suspended for "failure to gather information".

The Uttar Pradesh Police claimed that the rioting was planned. Stating that the investigation was at a preliminary stage, senior officers said the violence was due to "some political intent".

"The manner in which the attack at the police station was carried out could not have been random. The rioters first barricaded both sides of the highway, blocking reinforcements. They were also well armed," a senior Ghaziabad police officer said.

He said the rioters were armed with rifles, country-made pistols and crude bombs.

At the Masuri station, police have so far found at least nine bullet holes. "The guns they had were sophisticated. Many people were armed as bullets were fired from several angles," a senior officer said.

Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Kumar told Newsline: "Station in-charge P K Singh has been suspended and Circle Officer Ajay Kumar has been transferred to police lines. We have recommended further action to the state government."

He said the suspension of Sub-Divisional Magistrate Keshav Kumar had been recommended.

The Friday night violence claimed six lives in Masuri, when a mob attacked a police station after finding 18 torn pages from the Quran near the railway tracks. Offensive language was allegedly scrawled across the pages, along with a mobile phone number.

From the Ghaziabad Local Intelligence Unit, a senior sub-inspector and a sub-inspector were suspended. "The intelligence units failed in their job to gather information. The desecrated book was found at 12.30 pm, but the mob started gathering only after 6.30 pm. It seems the intelligence unit had no inkling of what was happening," Kumar said. He said the pages were found a few kilometres from the police station.

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