Rioters run amok in Haldwani, shoot at sight orders issued – myuttarakhandnews.com | Uttarakhand News in English | Dehradun News Today| News Uttarakhand | Uttarakhand latest news

Friday, 09 February 2024 | my uttarakhand news | HALDWANI/DEHRADUN Several injured, police station & vehicles set afire after demolition of illegal Madarsa and namaz site A curfew has been imposed in Haldwani and orders have been issued to shoot rioters at sight after members of a community indulged in violence following the demolition of an illegally constructed Madarsa and a namaz site in the Vanbhulpura area of Haldwani on Thursday. The rioters set fire to the local police station, a number of vehicles and indulged in large scale stone pelting which injured about 70 persons including police personnel, government officials and media persons. Chairing a high level meeting with chief secretary Radha Raturi, officiating director general of police Abhinav Kumar and other senior officials in the evening, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to ensure that peace and law and order is maintained in the area. Dhami appealed to the local people to maintain peace while also directing the officials to take stern action against rioters. He stressed that nobody should be given the liberty to disturb the law and order. The Nainital district magistrate informed the CM on phone that a curfew had been imposed in the city. Till the situation returns to normal, orders have been issued to shoot rioters at sight, the DM informed. The authorities have ordered that all schools in the Haldwani development block will remain closed on Friday. As planned earlier, the authorities demolished an illegally constructed Madarsa and Namaz site at the Mallik Ka Bagicha in Vanbhulpura on Thursday. Members of a particular community indulged in protest and violence with dozens of vehicles including police and government vehicles also being set on fire or being damaged. The rioters also set the Vanbhulpura police station on fire. The police resorted to lobbing tear gas in an attempt to disperse the rioters who indulged in stone pelting from all sides. According to local sources, about 70 persons including police personnel, government officials and media persons were injured in the violence. After the violence subsided, the authorities shut down internet service and electricity supply in the area. Earlier, the municipal corporation and district administration accompanied by police force reached the Mallik Ka Bagicha to demolish the illegally constructed Madarsa and mosque after noon. Tension developed in the area as the government teams and police reached the site. The rioters started stone pelting as soon as the demolition of the illegally constructed Madarsa began. Some of the rioters broke through the barricading and reached the site where the police resorted to force to push them back. This was followed by arson in different parts of the area. The tension intensified after 5 PM with the rioters damaging dozens of vehicles including JCBs, ambulances and other vehicles. Shops in various localities were closed in the evening as the disturbance intensified. The rioters continued their violence and set fire to more vehicles after sunset. The authorities called two companies of PAC from Rudrapur in addition to the heavy force already deployed in the area. The police have sealed the disturbed area and are identifying the rioters.