Author:
Publication: The Times of India
Date: March 19, 2001
With three more deaths being reported
from the riot-torn areas of Kanpur, the death roll in the communal violence
rose to 14 on Sunday. For the third successive day activists of the Students
Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) continued to right pitched battles with
the police and open new fronts.
Violence was spreading and reports
of arson were coming in till late in the day, reminding people of the days
soon after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Although the new-look
district administration said that matters were under control, there seemed
to he no let-up in the violence. SIMI continued to spread arson to newer
areas in what appeared to be a well-laid-out plan.
According to the administration,
two more companies of the Rapid Action Force were pressed into service
and at the same time the Provincial Armed Constabulary was 'pulled out'
from a number of affected areas on the request of the residents there.
However, both SSP Arun Kumar and DM B.S. Bhullar denied that the PAC was
pulled out. They only said that a reshuffle had been effected. However,
residents of the area were heard shouting 'new administration zindabad'
after the PAC was removed.
The police also claimed to have
arrested 90 suspects. They recovered 212 crude bombs in a search operation
in the sensitive areas. The administration has also identified high rise
buildings in the riot areas from where bombs were buried and bullets were
fired at the police.
The police, however, are baffled
by the sophisticated arms and ammunition being used by the SIMI. The ADM
(finance) C.P. Pathak was shot on Friday, reportedly with an AK 47.
Although many arms factories have
been unveil in severed parts of the city, sources in the administration
said that sophisticated arm were being brought in from outside the country.
According to the police, one Mohammad
Hand was shot near Roopam crossing, in Beconganj area, on Sunday morning.
Two others, who were injured on Saturday, died in the LLR hospital on Sunday.
With the situation continuing to
he volatile, the high school and intermediate examinations scheduled to
begin on Monday have been cancelled.
