Three cops injured as mob attacks raid team in Nuh

At least three policemen were injured after a team of the Nuh police crime branch reached Singar village in Punhana on Friday to arrest a suspect involved in the communal violence of July 31 and were assaulted by villagers, including women, senior officers said. The mob also fired several rounds from their countrymade weapons, narrowly missing the policemen, they said.

Police said the attackers included the wife and family members of arrested suspect Irshad, whom the mob freed from the team after resorting to stone pelting and firing from the terrace of residences in the neighbourhood.

Reinforcements were rushed to the village, police said, and eight adults were arrested and a juvenile girl detained in connection with the violence.

The arrested were identified as Mohammad Javed, Mohammad Rizwan, Subhan Khan and five women including Irshad’s wife Afsana. The apprehended juvenile girl is about 17 years old, said Nuh police public relations officer Krishan Kumar.

Kumar said internet and bulk SMS services were suspended in Nuh once again on Friday as a precautionary measure in view of the call given by right-wing Hindutva outfits to take out the Brijmandal Shoba Yatra on Monday. “The services will remain curbed till Tuesday,” the PRO said.

According to police, at least 10 to 12 rounds were fired in the air by the raiding team in self defence after they came under attack by villagers just as they were leaving with the arrested suspect.

Police identified the injured personnel as sub-inspector Vineet Kumar, head constable Amar Singh, and constable Naveen (goes by a single name) and said they sustained injuries to the head and elsewhere in the stone pelting and assault.

They said Irshad, who was freed by the mob, is yet to be arrested and raids are on to arrest him as well as others who attacked the police team.

A senior police officer said the 12-member team comprised two sub-inspectors and an assistant inspector and it reached the village after receiving information that Irshad, one of the suspects who allegedly laid to siege to the temple in Singar on July 31, trapping the devotees inside, was hiding there.

“The team headed by SI Yashpal (goes by a single name) raided Irshad’s residence and took him into custody. While returning, the family members and neighbours assaulted the team with stones, rods and sticks,” he said.

He said even while under attack, the team caught hold of Rizwan and Subhan from the spot and made a quick retreat.

“The injured police personnel were later rushed to the community health centre in Punhana for treatment,” he said.

Police PRO Kumar said overall, 62 FIRs were registered in connection with the Nuh violence, including the latest one registered on Friday.

“A total of 292 suspects have been arrested, of whom eight are from Friday’s attack,” he said, adding that 12 FIRs , of the 62,were for hate speech and/or provocative posts online.

On a complaint by sub-inspector Yashpal, a FIR was registered against at least 20 suspects under sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of duty), 224 (resistance to arrest), 225 (resistance to another’s arrest), 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 353 (assault or criminal force) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Arms Act at Bichhore police station on Friday.