Aligarh lynching sparks tension; security stepped up, chief cleric appeals for peace
By the time police reached the spot, Fareed was seriously injured and was rushed to the Malkhan Singh Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries
A day after tension gripped the area over the lynching of a man, the Aligarh police and district administration remained on alert on Thursday to ensure law and order in maintained while the chief cleric of the city appealed for peace.
Police have arrested six people after a mob fatally attacked Fareed in Mamu Bhanja locality on Tuesday night. The incident triggered communal tension in the area.
Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Amit Kumar said on Thursday the situation is peaceful and under control. “We are keeping a close eye on the situation and an adequate number of police personnel has been deputed in the affected area,” he said.
Aligarh chief mufti Khalid Hameed called for peace and Hindus-Muslim amity in the city. He said police should investigate the matter and arrest guilty persons “without succumbing to any sort of political pressure”.
According to a complaint filed by Fareed's family, he was returning home from work on Tuesday night when he was mobbed and thrashed by some residents in the Mamu Bhanja locality over suspicion of theft, Superintendent of Police City M Shekhar Pathak said on Wednesday.
By the time police reached the spot, Fareed was seriously injured and was rushed to the Malkhan Singh Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries, Pathak added.
As the news of the incident spread, many people gathered at the hospital and demanded the arrest of the accused, he said.
Pathak said the arrests have been made based on CCTV footage, and some other unidentified people have also been booked. Further investigation is underway.
SSP Sanjay Suman told reporters on Wednesday that all precautionary measures have been enforced. Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been deployed in sensitive localities including Subzi Mandi and Abdul Kareem Chowk.
Police patrolling has been intensified in some areas identified as “sensitive spots”.
Several BJP leaders led by the city MLA Muktar Varshney staged a “dharna” near the Railway Road, demanding that no innocent person should be arrested based on fabricated evidence.
SP Pathak assured that arrests will be made following the due process of law.
(With agency inputs)
