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Day curfew in Agra lifted Press Trust of India
Agra, Aug. 30: Authorities today lifted curfew from the Sadar Police Station area while day curfew was lifted from the Tajganj area in Agra, as an eerie calm prevailed in the city, a day after it witnessed wide spread violence. Rioters set fire to 20 vehicles and blocked roads yesterday in Agra 210 kilometres northwest of New Delhi after four men were hit and killed by a truck. The victims of the truck accident, all Muslims, were walking home after a religious festival, said Vikram Singh, the director-generalof police in Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh.
Senior superintendent of Police, Agra, Mr Hariram Sharma told a Press conference that it was proposed to lift night curfew from Therakabganj and Lohamandi thana areas from tomorrow. However, no relaxation would be made in the Mantola and Naikikmandi thana areas.
“The relaxation would be considered after favourable reports of the situation in the areas from the local intelligence unit and other sources.” He said the rioters would be identified from video recordings and other methods. For violation of curfew, thirty people had been rounded up so far.
District magistrate Mr Mukesh Meshram said the National Security Act would be invoked against “lawless elements” who had provoked or participated in the violence. Arms licences would be cancelled in areas where curfew was in force and suspended in riot affected areas.
Estimates of loss to property would be done by a committee after which it would be sent to the state government for action.
He said tourists to the Taj and other monuments had not been affected by the incidents and about 2,000 visitors, including seven hundred foreigners, had visited the Taj yesterday. Till today noon, another seven hundred foreigners besides Indians visited the Taj.
13 policemen suspended
Thirteen policemen were suspended today for failing to prevent rioting that left one person dead and 20 injured in the northern Indian city that is home to the Taj Mahal, a police official said says AP.
The 13 police officers were suspended for dereliction of duty because they failed to reach the accident site quickly enough, and for failing to control the angry people at the scene, Senior Superintendent of Police Mr Hari Ram Sharma said.
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