Indus Valley Times

GURUGRAM,AUG 1: A mob attacked a mosque in Gurugram and killed its naib imam, taking the toll in the violence that erupted over an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession in Nuh district to five, police said on Tuesday.

In Gurugram’s Sector 57 area, the 26-year-old imam was killed and a mosque was set ablaze as the violence spread from neighbouring Nuh, police said.

According to the police, a mob Gurugram reached the Anjuman Masjid in Sector 57 after midnight. Some people in the crowd opened fire at the people present in the mosque and also set it ablaze.

Meanwhile, authorities on Tuesday imposed a curfew in Nuh where two home guards were killed, and many others, including several policemen, were injured on Monday.

The deceased home guards were identified as Neeraj and Gursevak. They were deployed at Khedali Daula police station.

In Nuh, two more people injured in the violence on Monday succumbed to their injuries. One of them has been identified as Saad, a native of Bihar, a senior officer said. The identity of the fourth person is yet to be ascertained.

Ten policemen were among 23 injured in the violence in Nuh.

The police have registered 11 FIRs in the district and detained 27 people in connection with the rioting.

At least 120 vehicles were damaged during the violence in the district. Of these, 50, including eight belonging to the police, were set ablaze.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said a curfew has been clamped in Nuh district.

As news of the violence in Muslim-dominated Nuh spread on Monday, mobs in Sohna set ablaze four vehicles and a shop.

The situation in Nuh and Sohna continues to be tense.

However, there were no reports of any fresh violence on Tuesday.

Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers in Nuh and other affected areas, the police said.

Thirteen companies of central forces have already reached the district, while six others will reach soon.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday appealed to the state’s people to maintain peace and brotherhood at this critical time.

In a tweet in Hindi, Kejriwal said, “The communal violence in Haryana’s Nuh (Mewat) is deeply troubling. After Manipur in the Northeast, now such an incident in Haryana is not a good sign.” He further said, “I appeal to the public in Haryana with folded hands to maintain peace and mutual brotherhood at this critical time. Together, we have to defeat the forces against peace and the politics of violence.”

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said “strictest action” will be taken against those responsible for the incident.

“Today’s incident is unfortunate. I appeal to all the people to maintain peace in the state. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, and the strictest action will be taken against them,” the chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

-PTI