At least three persons including two home guards were killed, and around 10 police officers including one Deputy Superintendent of Police rank officer and three inspectors were injured in an incident of communal violence in Haryana's Nuh district when they were going to Nuh from Gurugram to maintain the law and order situation, police said. The clashes broke out during a procession taken out by the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Nuh, and as violence spread to neighbouring areas, Bajrang Dal members allegedly set fire to vehicles and vandalised shops, Indian Express reported.
The processing began at the Nalhar temple in Nuh, and police personnel were deployed in large numbers along the route, according to reports. Police alleged that the procession was stopped a few kilometres from the temple by a group of men, stones were pelted at the participants of the procession and a couple of vehicles part of the procession were set on fire. The participants then reportedly returned to the temple. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij told Indian Express that he had requested the Union government to send in additional forces as more than 3,000 persons were allegedly held hostage inside the temple. As per reports, all the people “held hostage” have been rescued.
The state government has imposed Section 144 in the Nuh district and sealed its borders and suspended internet services till August 2. Home Minister Anil Vij said 15 units of central forces will be deployed in Nuh amid the violence. "Additional 15 central forces have been sent to Nuh for security purposes. Internet services are suspended and we are trying to restore peace and law and order," Vij told the media. Meanwhile, all educational institutions will remain closed in the Gurugram district on Tuesday.
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala accused the BJP-Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) coalition government in Haryana of not taking preventive measures despite reports suggesting possible law and order disruption in Nuh. He referred to a social media post by Monu Manesar — a Bajrang Dal member who is accused in the murder of two Muslim men found dead in Bhiwani in February — saying he and his team would also take part in the procession.
"The police teams of Gurugram were going from Gurugram to Nuh, the mob on the way threw stones at the police vehicles in which Hodal DSP Sajjan Singh, Inspectors Ajay and Devender f IMT Manesar police station, Inspector Anil of Gurugram Crime Branch In-Charge Sector40, Sub-Inspector Arun of Kherki Daula police station, Sub-Inspector Deepak of IMT Manesar police station, Sub-Inspector Devender of Kherki Daula police station, ASI Rajesh Reader of DCP Manesar, Head Constable Sher Singh of Kherki Daula police station and Constable Pawan of Kherki Daula police station were seriously injured while home guards, Neeraj and Gursevak, of Kherki Daula police station died," the police said in a statement.
The police added that all the injured police personnel are undergoing treatment at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. According to official information, home guards Neeraj and Gursevak lost their life to a bullet injury.
Hodal DSP Sajjan Singh sustained a severe bullet wound on his head, while Inspector Anil Kumar, In-Charge of the Crime Unit in Sector-40, Gurugram, suffered a gunshot wound on his stomach in the incident.
"Due to communal tension in the neighbouring district of Nuh, roads have been blocked by anti-social elements to disturb the peace and tranquillity of society and public order in Gurugram. To avoid any untoward incident it's necessary to close government and private educational institutions in the district in view of prevailing circumstances. Keeping in view of the above, it is hereby ordered that all government and private educational institutions will remain closed on August 1 in Gurugram," the orders said.
Apart from this, the Gurugram district administration intensified security and deployed huge police personnel after a mob of around 500 people pelted stones and torched four shops and a cab near Ambedkar Chowk in the Sohna road area.
With IANS inputs