The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday suspended the District Magistrate and SSP of Saharanpur, while the DIG and Divisional Commissioner were transferred out of the violence-hit district amid fresh clashes.
DIG (security) Vijay Bhushan, sent to monitor the situation has been named the new DIG.
Bablu Kumar has been posted as SSP and Pramod Kumar Pandey will be the new DM, an official said.
The district administration also has blocked the Internet and prevented all social media-based messaging services in Saharanpur, effectively stopping groups like the Bhim Sena from mobilising.
The administrative reshuffle comes even as the city remained tense after yet another Dalit youth, Ashish, was killed and over a dozen others were injured when a vehicle ferrying Dalits was attacked on Tuesday, moments after BSP supremo Mayawati’s visit to Shabbirpur village.
The State government has also announced compensation of ₹15 lakh for Ashish and ₹50,000 for each of the injured.
Violence continued on Wednesday as unidentified gunmen shot and seriously injured a member of the Thakur community on Janta road in the Janakpuri area. Pradeep Chauhan was shot at near Punwarka block by motorcycle-borne men, SP Prabal Pratap Singh said. He was rushed to the district hospital, from where he was referred to a speciality centre.
The Senior Superintendent of Police Saharanpur, S.C. Dubey and the District Magistrate Nagendra Pratap Singh were removed over their inability to control violence in the wake of clashes between the upper-caste Thakurs and Dalits since early this month.
Wednesday’s reshuffle is the second in less than a month. SSP Love Kumar and DM Shafqat Kamal were shifted out after the district witnessed communal violence in Sadak Dudhli village in mid April after the BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal insisted on leading a procession through a communally sensitive area of the village.
The State government also sent a high level team of senior officials to the district on Tuesday night. The team including Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra, ADG Law and Order Aditya Mishra, IG Special Task Force Amitabh Yash, is camping in the district head quarters to chalk out measures to control the violence. Mr Mishra visited Shabbirpur and interacted with the vicitms of the violence.
A large security force has been deployed in Shabbirpur and Chandrapura where fresh violence occurred on Tuesday. Twenty-four persons were arrested and three fresh FIRs have been registered.
