Clashes in over half-a-dozen districts besides tragedy during immersion of Durga and other idols claimed seven lives while leaving about 50 others injured during last 24 hours. In several places, clashes also took communal colour but timely response by the cops averted incidents from taking ugly turn.
In Siddharthnagar, four persons, including three minors, were killed and 13 others injured when an overcrowded tractor trolley, returning after Durga immersion, overturned in Bansi Kotwali area on Friday late evening. The incident occured when the driver of the over crowded tractor trolley lost control over the vehicle due to high speed and it turned turtled at Baghawa Komal hamlet. Suraj (7), Rambhu (10), Raja Babu aka Nagnu (14), and Sunil (21), all hailing from Madhopur village were killed on the spot while 13 others were injured. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post mortem and the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital.
1In another incident reported from Barabanki, an irate mob beat up a police sub-inspector, official during Durga idol immersion in Jehagirabad police station area on Friday afternoon. The cop was later suspended for failing to control the situation. Additional Superintendent of Police O P Singh said when a procession started moving for immersion of the Durga idol in Nainamau village on Friday afternoon, the sub-inspector stopped the procession as prayer meeting going on at a religious place of other community which irked the locals and they raised objection. The mob got angry when station officer of Jahengirabad, Shujauddin beat up a youth in the procession while instructing him to move fast. On getting information, senior officials rushed to the spot and pacified the mob and controlled the situation by suspending the official concerned.
In a separate incident reported from Muzaffarnagar, five people were injured in clash between two groups of the same community after an alleged incident of eve-teasing during Ramlila festival at Kawal on Friday evening. A group of women attending the mela were allegedly eve-teased by some youths. When they raised alarm, the locals opposed the act which turned violent. Five people were injured in the incident. Police have taken the accused in the custody and the investigation is underway.
In one more report poured from Meerut, a 10-year-old girl who had gone for idol immersion of Goddess Durga, drowned in a canal after a canter-truck hit the canal’s railing she was sitting upon. Reports said that Payal (10) was accompanied by her father Satbir (38) for ‘moorti visarjan’ to a nearby canal in Nangla Jamaalpur area on Friday.The incident took place when she was sitting on the railing of the canal waiting for her father while he immersed the idol. In the meantime, a canter-truck which was passing by lost control and hit the railing following which Payal fell into the canal and drowned. The truck also fell into the canal but the driver escaped and fled from the spot.