PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
With tension still palpable in Kotdwar town of Pauri district following two back to back incidents with communal connotations, police are on an alert mode to maintain peace and harmony.
Meanwhile, reports surfaced claiming that some media persons were not being allowed to enter the town by the authorities. However, when The Pioneer spoke to Inspector General (IG) Law and Order, Sunil Kumar Meena who also is the spokesperson of Uttarakhand Police, he denied these claims, saying that no media persons are being stopped.
Recently, members of a Hindu organisation had visited a shop named “Baba school dress and matching centre” and asked the shop owner to change the name, claiming that “Baba” is associated with Hindu beliefs. During the incident, a man who was standing nearby had intervened and introduced himself as Mohammed Deepak. An argument had broken out between him and the members of the organisation. The video of the incident later went viral on social media, escalating the situation. Following this, several activists of Bajrang Dal had arrived in Kotdwar to confront Deepak, compelling the police to deploy heavy security in the area to maintain law and order.
On Tuesday, another incident came to light in Kotdwar. A local resident, Usman, allegedly harassed a woman by making repeated phone calls and sending objectionable messages. He also reportedly molested her in a busy market area. Acting on the woman’s complaint, the Kotwali police, Kotdwar arrested the accused on Tuesday. Police have registered a case against the accused under Sections 352 and 78 of the BNS.
Considering the possibility of the situation worsening, security has been spruced up at all check posts in the town. The accused was produced before the court and then sent to jail on the same day.
