Officers suspended,police say attacks in Ghaziabad planned

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.

Police have also undertaken community liasoning in an effort to build confidence and quell rumours.

Ranvijay,who was appointed Sadar Circle Officer on Sunday,said police teams had visited the surrounding areas after reports of rumours.

“We were informed of rumours about police arresting people and more violence. We visited the localities to assure the people that the situation had returned to normal,and police is not a force to be feared,” he said.

Police said the team visited Pipleda,Karim Nagar,Masuri,Nohal and Gurjiyan,from where people had been fleeing their homes.

SSP Kumar said no arrests have been made either for rioting or for the desecration of the Quran.

“Our goal right now is to ensure normalcy,while an investigation is also on. We will not make any arrest before gathering foolproof information,” he said.

Police claimed to have traced the owner of the mobile phone,whose number was written on the torn pages,but believe he is not involved in the incident.

“The owner of the phone is a resident of Noida. He has no connection with Friday’s incidents,” an officer said.

Mob fired with rifles,cops only had lathis

At 6 pm on Friday,sub-inspector Ramesh Chandra was stationed five km from Masuri police station when he received the call that he was needed at the station to control a swelling crowd of violent protesters.

Chandra and five others,all armed with lathis,hitched a ride on an auto-rickshaw to reach the epicentre of violence.

Angry,after torn pages of the Quran were found along the railway tracks in the area,the crowd was hurling stones and fire bombs at the police station. The number of protesters was growing fast and a few had also brought weapons along. The 30 policemen present at the station only had lathis.

In this melee,Chandra was shot in the thigh with the bullet puncturing his femoral vein.

Speaking to Newsline at Yashoda Hospital,Chandra said: “I reached the station just as the rioters started to get violent. They hurled stones and fire bombs,then some started firing at us. We did not have many weapons. Only the gunmen of Superintendent of Police (Rural) and the sentries were armed.

“The mob also attacked the barracks,near the station’s main building,where constables were sleeping. Residential quarters were also attacked. Also present at the station were officials such as Nagar Nigam Chairman Sajid Hussein. We tried to ensure their safety as well. Reinforcements arrived hours later.”

To ensure that the mob did not raid the police maalkhana,where seized weapons are kept,Head Constable Roopchand was sent to keep a watch.

“Even if they weren’t working,the loss of the weapons would not have been good. He left the main complaint room,where policemen had taken refuge,to try and secure the maalkhana. He managed to lock the door,but the mob attacked him,” an officer said.

Roopchand,who has a torn windpipe,is battling for life in the ICU of Yashoda Hospital.

Other than saving their own lives,police were also looking to secure the next-door petrol pump and stop the mob from reaching Dasna Jail,three km away.

The first companies of the PAC arrived around 8 pm,police said.

A constable said: “Right next to the police station is a petrol pump. The company was asked to secure the pump first.” Another company of the PAC was stopped at Dasna.