Additional police forces have been deployed in Haridwar in view of Mahapanchayat called by Gujjar community at laksar on Thursday. This is in view of the violence that erupted over alleged throwing of a religious book by some unidentified persons at landhaura in Roorkee in Haridwar district on June 1. Tension is still persisting in the area with police being on maximum alert.
State Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Ram Singh Meena said that no permission has been given for the Mahapanchayat in the area. Additional police forces have been deployed at sensitive areas of the district. Section 144 of CrPC, imposed at sensitive areas, would be enforced strictly, he added.
Meena further said that an alert has been issued and police officers, including intelligence staffers, have been directed to be vigilant and to take on the anti-social elements stringently if things so warrant.
Senior police officers have been directed to be vigilant in their jurisdictional limits and strict instruction has been issued to the effect that no one would be allowed to take law in his hands.
Another police officer said that three companies of central armed police forces (two companies of Rapid Action Force and one company of ITBP), deployed by the Central government, have been sent to laksar, in particular, to maintain communal harmony and peace.
The affected areas have been divided into sectors and heavy police forces have been deployed to maintain peace in the area. The State police have also sent PAC jawans in Haridwar district to maintain peace in the tension-prone areas. Besides, senior officers have been monitoring the situation from police headquarters.