Commissioner and DIG transferred, social media blocked in Saharanpur

Lucknow: Following the violence that claimed two lives with injuries to over two dozen persons in Saharanpur, the Uttar Pradesh government has transferred the Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Inspector General of Police besides blocking the social media there.

The transfers of Divisional Commissioner M.P. Agarwal and DIG J.K. Shahi were ordered late on Wednesday night after the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Saharanpur were suspended the same evening.

An official spokesman of the Yogi Adityanath government said the decision was taken at the highest level in view of the failure of these officials to contain violence around Shabbirpur village.

Meanwhile a tense calm prevailed in the violence-hit villages in the area, with the police stepping up patrolling.

A team of senior officials including Secretary (Home) Mani Prasad Mishra, ADG (Law and Order) Aditya Mishra, IG (STF) Amitabh Yash and DG (Security) Vijay Bhushan were still camping in Saharanpur.

They were meeting people to ensure that normalcy returns soon, a home department official told IANS on Thursday.

The area has been on the boil since April 20, when a clash between the Dalit and Rajput communities singed the region.

IANS