KANPUR: The police on Sunday produced the alleged mastermind Hayat Zafar Hashmi and his three aides in a local court in connection with Friday’s rioting and violence in Kanpur’s Parade area. The accused were sent to jail. Meanwhile, the city police commissioner constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a detailed probe into the incident that left over a dozen persons injured.
"An SIT has been formed to destroy the network of the accused and to check their mobiles, besides one more team has been formed. The formation of these teams will decide the progress of the investigation in this case," said police commissioner Vijay Singh Meena while talking to TOI on Sunday.
Police have arrested seven more accused in connection with the violence, taking the number of arrests to 29. Over 800 unidentified persons were booked in the case.
Violence broke out in Parade and its adjoining Nai Sadak and Yateem Khana areas of the city after Friday prayers when some people tried to force shopkeepers to down shutters over allegedly insulting remarks made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma during a TV debate recently, police said. More than a dozen persons and one policeman were injured in the clashes.
Police sources also said that it has come to the fore during investigations that efforts have been made to tamper with and erase footage from the DVRs. "We will not spare even those who destroy evidence," said the CP.
Police have also identified the stone-pelters, and their posters will be issued on Sunday, said the official.
"The pictures of the stone-pelters will appear in posters and there will be an appeal to the people of the area to help police in getting them identified and arrested," he said.
The police official further said, "Important documents have been recovered from Hayat Zafar Hashmi. Evidence of conspiracy has been found by checking Hashmi's WhatsApp and Instagram."
