UP: Rs 5,000 reward for info on ‘man behind’ Meerut stir

“The property of Badar Ali will also be attached and a new historysheet will be opened in his name. Once nabbed by the police, the Gangster Act will also be slapped on him. So far, 48 persons have been arrested out of the total 100 named and 3,000 unidentified in connection with Sunday’s violence,” Sahni told mediapersons Wednesday.

On Sunday evening, thousands have gathered at the Faiz-e-Aam college ground under the banner of the Yuwa Samiti and despite the local administration not giving permission for the same, they took out a “peace march” to demand martyr status for Tabrez Ansari, who was lynched by a mob in Jharkhand on June 17 and succumbed to injuries on June 21 in a prison there.

The protesters clashed and attacked policemen with stones wherever the latter tried to restrain them during the course of the march. They also blocked the Hapur crossing in protest against the alleged police action following which the cops lathicharged them to quell the trouble.

The SSP also pointed out that role of the shahr Qazi, Zainus Siddique, would also be probed as he too had addressed the meeting along with Badar Ali before the crowd took out the march. “We are collecting evidence against all those who have played an incendiary role in Sunday’s violence and none will be spared regardless of the post he or she holds,” said the new Meerut SSP.

The police had also served a notice to Badar Ali at his residence Sunday morning in which the peace march was termed as illegal because it was not given permission by the local administration on the plea that section 144 (assemblage of more than four persons at a place unlawful) of the Cr.PC is already invoked. He was warned in the notice that he would be held responsible for any trouble that arises out of the banned peace march but Badar Ali went ahead with the programme.

“We had only sought permission for holding a peace march to demand martyr status for Tabrez Ansari and adequate compensation for his family members but the same was denied by the BJP government,” said Badar Ali before he went absconding.