Kasganj remains tense after 1 person was killed in violence during Tiranga Yatra

Situation in Kasganj continued to be tense on Saturday but under control following communal violence on the Republic Day during the Tiranga yatra, taken out by the right wing activists including members of BJP and VHP, in which a youth was killed and several others were injured. Fresh violence was reported from Kasganj district when on Saturday morning five shops were torched by a mob while returning from the cremation of the youth who died in the violence on Friday.

Two government buses were torched by the anti-social elements while couple of shops were ransacked. Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in the district.

A total of nine people including six for arson and three for the murder of a youth have been arrested so far.

Two cases have been registered in the incident, one against four named and several others under section 147,148, 149,307,336,436,295,427,323 and 504 of the IPC for violence while the second one was filed by Sushil Kumar Gupta, father of the deceased Chandan Gupta against twenty people including four named.

There are two versions of the incident. According to one version of the incident, some people attacked the Tiranga Yatra taken out by the BJP’s student wing, ABVP and youths associated with other Hindu organisations, near Bilgram gate in Kasganj, which is dominated by members of the minority community.

It all started with a small skirmish followed by pelting of stones that led to exchange of fire in which several people were injured. Chandan Gupta died on his way to hospital while another seriously injured youth Naushad was shifted to Agra hospital.

The other version is that members of a section of society were celebrating Republic Day function in Bilgram when youth belonging to right wing came on motorcycle and disrupted the function. Those on bikes claimed that pro-Pakistan slogans were raised in that meeting. This led to altercation followed by pelting of stones and culminated into gun fire.

Police did not clarify which version is correct but said matter will be probed and guilty will be punished.

Amid tight security cover, the cremation of the deceased, Chandan Gupta was performed on Saturday morning in the presence of local BJP MP Rajveer Singh and other BJP leaders. Reports of sporadic violence came from the Bilgram area on Saturday morning but situation was brought under control.

District Magistrate RP Singh said that the last rites were performed on the banks of the river Kali. “The district authorities has announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh to the family of the deceased as per government ruled,” he said.
Inspector General of Police ( Agra Zone) Ajay Anand said the situation was under control while additional police force has been rushed to Kasganj. Undeclared curfew-like situation prevailed in the area while Rapid Action Force(RAF) was rushed to control it. Senior officials from Aligarh and Agra were rushed to Kasganj.

“We have rounded up several people who were behind the violence while peace committees are holding meetings with both the communities to instill peace in the area,” he said.

All the schools and other educational institutions have been closed till Monday.