Curfew relaxed in communal violence hit Saharanpur

The district administration decided to relax the curfew from 10 am to 2 pm in new city and from 3 pm to 7 pm in the old city area as the region remained tense but violence-free after two days of the incident.

According to senior district administrative officials, as many as 38 people have been arrested in connection with the incident and nine First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged with the police.

Curfew was imposed in Saharanpur on Saturday after a clash that broke out between two groups over a plot of Gurudwara on Saturday. The situation went out of control as members from both the communities had started pelting stones at each other and set several shops and vehicles on fire.

Reports said a controversial land, adjacent to Gurudwara, was seized by another community that hurt the sentiment of people from the other group. The differences further worsened after a local court delivered its verdict in favour of one particular community upsetting the other.

Later, heavy contingent of police force, led by senior officials, had reached the spot to bring the situation under control. The police used tear gas shells to quell the irate mob from both the sides. Later, Section 144 had been imposed in the city.