Kanpur Violence: 3 FIRs, 800 plus booked, 18 arrested

Kanpur/Lucknow: More than 800 people were booked, along with 18 arrested and 18 detained for interrogation over Friday's violence in Kanpur, PTI reported citing Uttar Pradesh Police's account.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and order) Anand Prakash Tiwari said on Saturday said, "The area is peaceful, and we are maintaining a round-the-clock vigil." He said that some suspects were detained by various police teams over the night while three FIRs for rioting and violence were lodged at Beckonganj police station.

The first FIR was registered based on a complaint by the Nawab Ahmad, Station House Officer, Beckonganj, against 500 individuals for rioting with deadly weapons and named 36 people, including Maulana Mohammed Ali, MMA Jauhar Fans Association chief Hayat Zafar Hashmi, and his associates Yousuf Mansoori and Amir Jawed Ansari.

The SHO stated that Hayat, along with his men, called for the shutting down of shops to protest against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's remarks against Prophet Mohammed. SHO claimed in the FIR that the rioters used deadly weapons such as petrol bombs which they hurled in the streets and triggered panic.

The second FIR was based on Sub-Inspector Asif Raza's complaint, and 20 people were named in it, while it booked 350 unidentified people. The second FIR stated that MMA Jauhar Fans Association chief Hayat Zafar Hashmi along with Yousuf Mansoori, Amir Jawed Ansari and others, converged at the Dada Miyan crossing and moved towards Yateemkhana, which led to lawlessness.

A resident of Chandeshwar Hata, Mukesh, lodged a complaint based on which the third FIR was registered. Mukesh alleged in his petition that hundreds of Muslims, armed with sticks, iron roads and other deadly weapons, took the streets and attacked other communities with the intention to kill. The third FIR accuses "a crowd of thousands of unidentified persons."

The FIRs were filed adding charges of IPC Sections such as 147 (punishment for rioting), 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 336 (act endangering life), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).

Others named in the FIRs were Ehtisham alias Kabadi, Zeeshan, Aquib, Nizam Qureshi, Adil, Imran alias Kalia, Shaharyan, Mudassar, Mohammad Azad, Zeeshan alias Avenger, Abdul Shakeel, Irfan alias Chaddi, Shera, Saifi, Arfit, Israeel, Aqee alias Khichdi, Adnan, Pervez alias Chikna, Shadab, Ishrat Ali, Mohammad Rashid, Alishan, Nasir, Ashique Ali, Mohammad Aquib, Mohammad Said, Anas, Shahid, Bilal, Haji Mohd Nasir, Habib and Rahman.

Police had briefed that the violence broke out in Pared, Nai Sadak and Yateemkhana areas of Kanpur after Friday prayers. The incidents unfolded injured at least 40 people, which included 20 police troops. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar has warned that those involved will be booked under the stringent Gangsters Act and their properties seized or demolished.