Curfew remained in force in riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar where the death toll climbed to 28 even as 200 persons were arrested and cases registered against 1000 persons, including four BJP MLAs and a former Congress MP.
“The death toll in the violence has reached 28 so far. SHO, Phugana, Omveer has been removed from the post as most of the violence was witnessed in the area... We are also cancelling arms licenses in Phugana, Shahpur, Dhaurakalan as they were misused during the violence”, ADG, Law and Order, Arun Kumar told reporters in Muzaffarnagar.
FIRs have been registered against BJP legislative party leader Hukum Singh, MLAs Suresh Rana, Bhartendu, Sangeet Som and former Congress MP Harendra Malik for violating prohibitory orders, police said.
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UP government transferred Saharanpur DIG D.D. Mishra, and replaced him by A.M. Jain, who was posted in police recruitment board as DIG, official sources said. Mr. Mishra has been attached to the DGP office, they said.
ADG Bhavesh Kumar Singh has also been sent to Saharanpur to assist ADG (Law and Order) Arun Kumar in controlling the situation.
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Army deployed
Apart from Muzaffarnagar, Army has been deployed in Meerut and Shamli districts.
Army on Sunday staged a flag march in the troubled district and surrounding areas and thousands of anti-riot police personnel have been deployed to restore law and order.
Officials said apart from army, 10,000 Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel, 1300 CRPF men and 1200 Rapid Action Force personnel have been deployed.
The Centre has on Sunday sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government on violence in Muzaffarnagar and directed it to take strong action to curb riots.
Union Home Ministry officials are in regular touch with the Uttar Pradesh government and have assured it of all possible help to control violence in the western UP district.
Officials sources said in Delhi the Centre has asked the state government to take necessary steps to ensure that communal tension does not spread to other parts of the state.
If necessary, steps like preventive arrest and house arrest of those who may create trouble to disturb peace should be taken, the sources said.
Tension has been running high since three persons were killed in Kawal village on August 27 over an eve-teasing incident.
The violence had occurred as a meeting was being held in Naglabadhod in defiance of prohibitory orders to demand withdrawal of cases registered in connection with August 27 violence in Kawal.