Despite the presence of security personnel in large numbers, miscreants ran riot in Muzaffarnagar on Thursday. Six incidents of firing and stone pelting were reported from the district as a group of hooligans intercepted a bus and shot at travellers in the evening.
Rampant violence across the area pointed towards the failure of the administration to control the situation as two more professionals were attacked by the minority community. Meanwhile, lack of basic amenities and medical facilities has started taking a toll on the riot victims staying in relief camps.
Two persons died on Thursday as they could not be given proper medical treatment in time. Taslim (16), who was suffering from fever, died at a hospital while a 65-year-old man, Nooruddin died at a relief camp.
On Thursday, the rural belt of the district witnessed a total shut down following two incidents of communal violence in Shahpur area on Wednesday in which a scrap dealer died while another trader was critically injured.
In Shahpur, a large number of armed hoodlums were spotted at various places on Thursday morning. The miscreants fired at two doctors, Kuldeep Chauhan and Pradeep Chauhan, as they were going to Shahpur Police Station to provide medical assistance to riot victims.
Both the doctors suffered minor injuries, but somehow they managed to escape. Schools, colleges, markets and shops in the area were closed as residents were reluctant to come out of their homes.
later, a mob gathered at Shahpur Police Station demanding arrest of those involved in the murder of Irfan, who was killed in retaliation to the thrashing of a Jat trader on Wednesday evening.
The protesters also tried to vandalise police property but were dispersed by the cops. In another incident, a bus on the Shamli-Muzaffarnagar route was attacked. Two passengers received bullet injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
The fresh incidents of violence took place despite a huge deployment of police force across the region.
The Jat community also organised a mahapanchayat (public meet) in Rasulpur Village to discuss the present crisis and to demand the release of members of their community who are in police custody for rioting.
The mahapanchayat also discussed the thrashing of a trader Joginder Malik on Wednesday. Meanwhile, residents alleged that the condition of the riot-affected people is deteriorating gradually as they are not being provided food and medical facilities.
Over 12,000 riot-affected people are still living in makeshift camps and owing to lack of basic amenities, their condition is deteriorating day by day.
“We have not received any kind of help for nearly three weeks and are living on the mercy of God. The condition of children, pregnant women and senior citizens is serious as they need medical aid immediately. We do not even have proper clothes to save ourselves from the cold. There is absolutely no sanitation in the camps due to which the refugees are in constant fear of an epidemic,” said Akhlaq Ahmed, a refugee living in a relief camp located in Bassi-Kalan area.
In another development, a Muslim leader, Ghulam Jhola, of the Bhartiya Kisan Union was expelled from the outfit for his alleged involvement in anti-organisation activities, fuelling speculation of a rift within the BKU following the recent communal riots here.
Jhola, a close associate of late farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, was expelled from the union for anti-organisation activities.