Curfew relaxed in violence-hit Ghaziabad area

Ghaziabad  :  Curfew was relaxed for five hours Monday in Ghaziabad’s Masuri area where six people were killed in police firing three days ago and the kin of two victims sought action against an official. No one has been arrested.

“During the relaxation of curfew no untoward incident was reported from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” said District Magistrate Aprana Upadhyay.

Masuri police station in-charge P.K. Singh, a senior sub-inspector and a sub-inspector with the local intelligence unit (LIU) have been suspended, while suspension of circle officer-LIU has been recommended to the state government, she said.

“In addition to these punitive actions, a high level inquiry by the divisional commissioner is being conducted. No arrest has been made so far for rioting,” said the district magistrate.

Six people were killed as police opened fire to break up a rampaging mob denouncing the alleged desecration of a holy book in the district adjoining Delhi. Three policemen were also critically injured in the violence.

Upadhyay said the alleged torn pages of the holy book, which sparked the violence, were missing.

Aslam Qureshi, father of victim Asif, and Vakil Ahmad, brother of Wasim, lodged a complaint with police alleging that they were shot dead by the police station in-charge. They demanded that a criminal case be registered against him.

The other dead were identified by authorities as Waheed, Lukman, Amir and Hayat. Two of the six victims belonged to Meerut.