Bareilly, Aug 14: The district administration here late on Monday night reversed its decision to relax day curfew tomorrow citing “special reasons” despite a religious procession in trouble-torn town passing off peacefully.
The district magistrate Abhishek Prakash had earlier in the day announced that the curfew would be relaxed from 10 am to 5 pm on Tuesday after the Ganga Mahrani procession from Malookpur to Ganga passed off without any untoward incident However, late in the evening Prakash issued a statement that “due to some special reasons there would be no relaxation in day curfew tomorrow.”
The statement further said that a final decision to relax the curfew would be taken after estimating the situation on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Prakash had said that 75 people, including chairman of Zila Panchayat, had been arrested in apprehension of breach of peace on Monday.
The trouble started on Saturday in Baradari area when two groups clashed after a Janmashtami procession deviated from its fixed route and was stopped by some persons in Jagatpur Panwaria locality leading to heavy brick batting and firing in which three persons, including a mother-son, duo were injured.
In Kalibari area people went on the rampage when the route of another religious procession was changed. While police resorted to lathicharge and fired tear gas shells, the mob indulged in brick batting and firing in which around 15 people, including three policemen, were injured.
In the wake of the clashes, curfew was clamped on July 22 in Baradari, Prem Nagar, Qila and Kotwali areas of the city and all schools and colleges were closed.
Senior Superintendent of Police Satyendraveer Singh has suspended two sub-inspectors and removed an inspector in connection with the clashes.
