Kanpur Violence: Nine More Arrested, Over 100 Rioters Identified: Uttar Pradesh Police

The violence broke out in Pared, Nai Sadak, and Yateemkhana areas of Kanpur on Friday when some people tried to force shopkeepers to shut their shops in protest against allegedly-insulting remarks made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet Mohammed during a TV debate, according to police.

"We have identified about 100 more stone-pelters and rioters through CCTV footage and video clips," said Anand Prakash Tiwari, Additional Commissioner of Police, Law and Order.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), Pramod Kumar, said, "25 hoardings having photographs of about 20 key accused, who allegedly took part in the June 3 violence, will be put up at prominent places in and around the affected areas and neighbouring pockets."

It has been decided that contact numbers of the Station House Officers and senior police officials will also be provided and an appeal will be issued so that people can identify the suspects and pass on information to the police, added Kumar.?

He further said, "We have gathered images of the accused persons through video clips, cameras and CCTV footage."

Officials said three more special teams with separate tasks have been formed to assist the Special Investigation Team headed by DCP (South) Sanjeev Tyagi.

The first special team, comprising four members and headed by Additional DCP (East) Rahul Mithas, has been formed to examine the CCTV footage, including government and private ones, and hand the footage to the SIT.

Another five-member special team headed by Assistant CP Swaroop Nagar and ?Brijnarain Singh has been asked to investigate a matter pertaining to a petrol pump giving away petrol in open bottles and containers.

The third special team headed by Assistant CP (Cantonment) will keep an eye on posts which are provocative and false on social media, including on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and others.

Teams have also been asked to investigate social media posts of prime accused Hayat Zafar Hashmi, chief of Maulana Mohammed Ali (MMA) Jauhar Fans Association, and his associates, which went viral on social media.

Hashmi is suspected to be the mastermind of the violence and was arrested from Hazratganj area of the state capital on Saturday, police said. He was arrested on Sunday and a magistrate court sent him and four others arrested with him to judicial custody for 14 days.

(With PTI inputs)