Prayagraj:The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) on Sunday demolished the house of Javed Ahmad, alias Pump, the alleged mastermind of Friday's violence here, amid a heavy police deployment. A day earlier, the properties of two people accused of rioting were demolished in Saharanpur where stone-pelting had taken place as well.
Superintendent of Police, City (Saharanpur), Rajesh Kumar had said two accused who created ruckus have been identified through CCTV footage as Muzammil, a resident of Rahat Colony, 62 Futa Road, and Abdul Vakir, a resident of Khata Khedi. Municipal corporation teams bulldozed their illegal properties, he said. In Prayagraj, a senior PDA official said, "Javed Ahmad's house -- JK Ashiyana -- is located in the Kareli area of Prayagraj. Police force and a JCB machine reached the Kareli police station around 10.30 am and demolition commenced around 1 pm."
"The house was built without getting its map passed by the PDA. For this, he was issued a notice on May 10 and was told to present his point of view on May 24. On the said date, neither Javed nor his lawyer turned up. No document was presented in this regard, and hence on May 25, demolition orders were issued," the PDA official said.
Bulldozers moved to home of Prayagraj violence accused Senior Superintendent of Police of Prayagraj Ajay Kumar had on Saturday said alleged mastermind of stone-pelting Javed Ahmad had been arrested. In a tweet in Hindi on Saturday, Mrityunjay Kumar, the media adviser to the chief minister, had said, "Unruly elements remember, every Friday is followed by a Saturday" and posted a photo of a bulldozer demolishing a building.
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On Friday, people pelted stones at police personnel in Prayagraj and Saharanpur during protests after Friday prayers in mosques. At least four other cities witnessed similar scenes during the marches that were carried out to protest the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad made by now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
The Uttar Pradesh Police has so far arrested over 300 people from eight districts of the state in connection with Friday's violence. In a statement issued here on Sunday, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, "As many as 304 persons have been arrested from eight districts of the state, and 13 cases have been registered in this connection in nine districts of the state."
Elaborating further, Kumar said, "91 persons have been arrested in Prayagraj, followed by 71 in Saharanpur, 51 in Hathras, 34 each in Ambedkar Nagar and Moradabad, 15 in Firozabad, six in Aligarh and two in Jalaun." Of the 13 cases, three cases each were registered in Prayagraj and Saharanpur, and one each in Firozabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Moradabad, Hathras, Aligarh, Lakhimpur Kheri and Jalaun, the senior officer said.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has often spoken of how under his rule the state has been rid of frequent riots, issued a stern warning on Saturday. "Strictest action will be taken against the anti-social elements involved in the chaotic efforts to spoil the atmosphere in various cities in the past few days," he said while issuing directives to officials. "There is no place for such anti-social people in a civilised society. No innocent should be harassed, but not a single guilty should be spared," he said.
