Fresh incidents of clash, arsoning and stone pelting were reported in the Old City on Friday, in continuation of the sectarian clash that had engulfed the old city for last three days.
The clash erupted after the Alvida Ki Namaj was over around 2 pm. Police forces, jawans of PAC and RAF, who had been deployed as per security arrangement failed to discourage the miscreants from taking law in their hand and breaching the peace and harmony in the area. According to local residents, a group came out from the Tilewali masjid after the Namaj was over. As per police expectation, the group did not fan towards the Hazratganj like last year incident, in which a group of mischief mongers had vandalized the Saheed Park, set afire three motorcycles and also had damaged other public property ducking the police bandobast.
The group moved towards Roomi Gate area and then they reached near Sheesh mahal. The irate group started pelting stones at Raees Manzil, lobbed some crude mobs and even opened fire in the air. In the firing, two persons were said to have suffered injuries and have been admitted to Trauma centre of KGMU. On information, huge police reached the place to chase the miscreants. But the unruly miscreant took on the police and started to pelt stones on the policemen also.
Huge police force led by SSP and DM then chased the mob and the cops resorted to cane charging. Seeing police taking a tough stance, the group split in two parts and one part moved towards the Kudia Ghat. The group set afire a motorcycle there. On information, the police reached the place to chase the mob again. The group first took on the police force and then vanished in the locality. In between, a group again took hold in the area near Sheesh Mahal locality and started pelting stones aiming some house. The group was attacking at the houses of their rivals.
The police force again reached the place to control the irate group and to chase them away. After a hectic effort, the police controlled the situation there. The mischief-mongers kept pelting stones on the police party. They used to hide and then came out all a sudden from different lanes dismantling the police effort to maintain peace. The police had to fire tear gas shells and even rubber bullets to dispel the miscreants. Huge police forces are still camping at the site and there were reports that the miscreants were indulged in stone pelting though sporadically. On the other hand, in Rustum Nagar, a group pelted stone at their rival group on Friday afternoon. In retaliation, the other group assembled in huge number and they also started to pelt stones on their rivals. Both the groups later opted to air firing and later vandalized shops in the area also. Soon the clash spread around the Dargah Hazrat Abbas locality and the clash was intensified further. Huge police forces led by senior officials of police and district administration reached the place to control the situation. The cops chased the mob after surrounding the miscreants from all sides and thus forced them to disappear. The miscreants, however, assembled again at different pocket- borough of their rivals and kept throwing stones to the peace and instill sense of fear among the innocents who had confined themselves in their houses for last three days. With miscreants hold a fort in the Old city, the movement on the road in the Old city was minimal on Friday. People did not come out of their house apprehending untoward happening.
Meanwhile, the four cases were registered at different police station on Friday. The official spokesman of SSP lucknow, informed that, incharge of police out post, Ghanta Beg Garaiya in Sadatganj, Ram Kewal Tiwari lodged a complaint against one Raza and 300 unidentified persons for rioting, arsoning and injuring the people seriously on Thursday night. It may be noted that a group had opened firing and stone pelting in the area on holding the innocents captive in their houses Thursday night. In
Thakurganj, the police registered three different cases at the complaint of Abid and Imran on the similar charges. On the other hand the police set free the miscreants who were detained on Thursday for rioting, arsoning and other counts. Huge police forces are patrolling in the area and the situation in very tense.