In an significant development regarding the landhaura issue, the Nainital High Court has expressed disappointment over the police handling of the incident of arson and attack on the residence of former MlA and BJP leader Pranav Singh ‘Champion’.
The court has served notice to the State Government and Haridwar SSP over the issue, seeking reply within three weeks. Champion had filed a petition in the HC, stating that no action had been taken against the accused by police despite FIRs being lodged. Notably, the violence in landhaura broke out on June 1. Champion was learnt to have stated in the petition that the violence started when his uncle had tried to vacate his shop given on rent to Mahbub. When his uncle had asked him to vacate the shop, Mahbub had made the issue a religious one, spreading rumours that a religious book had been desecrated. He had gathered hundreds of people from a particular community, inciting them with the desecration falsehood, the ex-MlA had alleged. He had further said that Mahbub had goaded them to attack his house and to set cars ablaze.
Ex-pradhan Jabbar and others like Mohammad Istkhar, Yasar Arafat and Faheem had led the attack through stone pelting and arson, he had said in the petition. He further had said in the plea that the arsonists had later registered an FIR in the police station. The petitioner said no FIR had been lodged against Mahbub and others in the police station despite a complaint being lodged in the police station. The issue was heard in the court of single bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia on Thursday. Court said it was displeased over the role of the police vis-a-vis the incident, court sources informed.