law and Order situation deteriorated to a nadir in the state capital

law and Order situation deteriorated to a nadir in the state capital on Friday (Alvida juma) when hundreds of followers of Shia leader Kalbe Jawwad fought a pitched battle with the police while attempting to sneak police barricade at Saheed Smarak in Wazirganj police station. They were to gherao the official residence of minister for minority and waqf, Azam Khan at Kalidas Marg over the corruption in waqf board and his alleged ignorance to pay heed to their demand.

The irate protestors torched as many as 10 vehicles including a PAC truck, despoiled over a dozen of vehicles of commuters, who were unmindful of the protest and got stuck in the melee and pelted stones on the police force. Caught unawares at the protest, senior police officials summoned forces from various police stations of the state capital at the spot. Soon the area surrounding the Saheed Smarak was swarmed with heavy police presence.According to reports, a procession led by Shia leader Kalbe Jawwad marched towards the Hazratganj passing via Chowk, Trauma Centre and Buddha Park. Heavy police force was deployed on the road following the proposed protest march by the Shia leader. The police had planned not to allow the protestors to move away from the Saheed Park and heavy police deployment was made at the point. 

After the protestors reached at Saheed Smarak, the cops moved towards them to stop them from going towards Hazratganj. This snowballed in a clash during which some of the protestors allegedly manhandled the policemen. Irked over this, the police started cane charging at the mob causing the situation to spiral out of the hand of the police. Soon it was free for all with the protestors snatched service weapon from SSI Wazirganj, Hari Om and Incharge Pandeyganj police out post lal Chand Saroj. The mob also attacked both the sub inspectors causing both to suffer serious injuries in the attack. In retaliation, the police started bashing up whoever it found on the way. The cops bashed up a 60-year-old protestor Karrar Husain of Muftiganj in Thakurganj causing him to suffer injuries. He fell unconscious due to the attack and was carted to the Trauma Centre of KGMU where he died a little later. Several of the protestors and above a dozen of policemen suffered serious injuries. There were reports that a PAC jawan also suffered serious injuries in the attack and died during treatment. The police, however, did not endorse any of the deaths and injuries that the policemen and the protestors suffered in the clash. Also there were reports that the protestors snatched weapon from a PAC officer during the clash. The police did not confirm this too. 

The massive assemblage of the protestors forced the cops on the back foot. Taking advantage of weak strength of the cops at the spot, the protestors torched a PAC truck which was parked on the road side there. They also caught hold some policemen and bashed up them in blue and black with their fibre sticks. 

The police and district administration officials caught cold feet when they saw the ire in the mob. The senior officials requested and pleaded the Shia leader to calm down their supporters. On the plea the Shia leader was moved and he courted his arrest along with his supporters.Box The incident exposed the laxity in police preparedness to counter the protest and control the situation. The protestors were up in arms for last three days and they had threatened to gherao Azam’s official residence. Despite being known to protest, the police did not do the home work well and failed to control the situation. 

Secondly the procession covered a long distance after it started marching from Bada Imambara. But the police had no any plan to stop the protestors. Not only this, the police efforts seemed to be icing in the cake as huge police forces was deployed at the Saheed Smarak only. “The police officials should have to devise a method so that the number of protestors could be lessened before they reached at the Saheed Smarak the epi-center. Due to this laxity, the number of protestors who reached the scene was high than expectation and forced the cops to withdraw to defense. This dilemma encouraged the protestors and they overpowered the cops in the first spell attacking the policemen and snatching their service weapons,’ the sources in police department said.

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like other occasion, the local Intelligence Unit failed to get minute details of the protest, number of the protestors and their planned route march. “Had the lIU officials alerted the local police and had they provided precise details related to the protest march and the plan of the protestors, the violent situation could have been averted well in time,’ the sources in police department said. They said the lIU officials provided common information about the proposed protest march and this made the lucknow police in an awkward situation. “But the senior officials who were heading the entire exercise also floundered in getting over the situation,” the sources said.