Accused from both communities arrested and remanded, says IG of Police
The Telangana Police on Tuesday rejected allegations of the Bharatiya Janata Party that cases have been foisted upon youth of a particular community, even as they maintained that only those who were involved have been arrested in the Bhainsa riots case.
Communal trouble began in Bhainsa Town on March 7, at the Zulfiqar Galli in the town when youths of different communities indulged in stone pelting, which led to a larger communal riot.
Explaining the chronology of events which led to the conflagration, Inspector General of Police, North Zone, Y. Nagi Reddy said that on March 7, two two-wheeler borne youths belonging to a community, and connected to a right wing group, and riding near a mosque in Zulfiqar Galli allegedly hit another youth from a different community, who was walking with two of his friends. The latter then went looking for the two-wheeler borne youth in Batti Galli where they were allegedly attacked by the two youth and two of their associates, all of whom are connected to the right wing group.
Later, a constable who tried to intervene was hit on the head, and sustained injuries.
As the word of the altercation spread in the town, people belonging to the two communities began to gather, which resulted in stone-pelting in which nine civilians, and three police officers were injured. The conflagration led to as many as four houses, four autorickshaws, six four wheelers, five two wheelers and 13 shops being set on fire by miscreants.
Police have registered 26 cases. As many as 38 persons are accused, out of which four are children in conflict with law. The accused from both communities were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. The involvement of 70 others has been established and efforts are on to arrest them.
Mr. Reddy said said that two councillors, one from the Ward No 15, and another from Ward No 8, allegedly a former office-bearer of the right wing organisation, led the two different groups. He also pointed out that subsequent cases of arson which were noticed in the second and third days in Pardi and Mahagaon villages were committed by those connected to this right wing organisation. He said that ‘by and large’ those who are connected to the right wing organisation were arrested for their alleged involvement.
Mr. Reddy maintained that there is no bias in the police and the investigation is being conducted in an impartial manner. He said that irrespective of community or party affiliation, those who are involved in the riots would be arrested.
Special teams were constituted to investigate cases, and identification of the accused is being done by means of the CCTV cameras installed in the town, as well as from cameras geotagged under the Nenusaitham initiative.
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