Curfew partially lifted in riot-hit Saharanpur

Situation remained calm in the riot-hit Saharanpur area of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, the day of Id-ul-fitr.

Curfew was partially lifted in the ‘old city’ area between 7 and 11 in the morning, and between 3 and 7 in the evening in the ‘new city’ area.

Violence broke out last week following a land dispute between two religious communities in the Qutub Sher police station area of Saharanpur.

District Magistrate Sandhya Tiwari said 22 FIRs had been registered against those involved in the riots. Forty-three persons were held on the basis of the FIRs. The police arrested 33 persons under preventive action, she said.

Three persons died and 34 were injured in the riots, she said. Five security personnel were among those injured.

According to the city administration, 165 shops were burnt during the riots. Also, 42 vehicles and a house got damaged.

Saharanpur Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Pandey said, “People still continue to violate the curfew by coming onto the streets. When the security forces stop them, they take it as some kind of harassment.”