On February 8, in Banbhoolpura, the Muslim majority area of Haldwani city, which is also the second biggest city of Uttarakhand and the gateway to Kumaon, the gang of land mafia Haji Abdul Malik systematically attacked the administration team that had gone to remove the illegal encroachment. This violent mob also set ablaze banbhoolpura Police Station. Emboldened by this act, miscreants also torched dozens of vehicles, police personnel, especially women police personnel, journalists were mishandled and attempts were also made to set them on fire.
Timeline of Violence
- At 1:30 pm on February 8, in compliance with a High Court order, a police team accompanied by the SDM and a Municipal Corporation officer proceeded to demolish illegal madrassas
- 3:00 pm: Teams started gathering near Banbhoolpura police station to remove encroachment
- 4:23 pm: The team left with the police force
- 4:30 pm: The team reached Malik’s garden
- 4:40 pm: People started gathering at encroachment site
- 4:42 pm: People started protesting
- 4:44 pm: People started removing the barricades put up by the police
- 4:51 pm: Unruly elements stopped JCB
- 4:55 pm: Ruckus started and stones were pelted
- 5:17 pm: Started encroachment demolition action
- 5:20 pm: People broke the JCB
- 5:24 pm: Police fired tear gas shells at the protesters
- 5:35 pm: Miscreants set vehicles on fire
- 5:54 pm: Policemen injured
- 6:30 pm: Miscreants torched the police station
- 7:00 pm: Injured policemen sent to hospital
- 7:30 pm: CM ordered the miscreants to be shot.
- 7:48 pm: Curfew order issued in the city
- 7:55 pm: More forces from Udham Singh Nagar reached Haldwani
- 8:00 pm: Internet service stopped
Heavy Catchment of Arms Recovered
More than two hundred people were injured and six people died in this incident. The situation was brought under control when paramilitary forces reached the spot on time, after which curfew was imposed in the area and door-to-door searches were conducted where a large number of illegal weapons were recovered. Till now, about 50 people have been arrested.
“This is a clear message from our government to the miscreants and rioters that no one who plays with the peace of Devbhoomi will be spared; there is no room for such miscreants in Uttarakhand” — Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttarakhand CM
Here it is worth mentioning that the incident took place at Government land in Banbhoolpura Police Station area, which was once on lease. The lease expired, hence it was recorded in the Government documents. This three-acre land was illegally occupied by Haji Abdul Malik and he was selling it with a stamp of Rs 50. It was being sold on paper, on which a PIL was filed in the High Court, after which it was directed to the district administration and the administration took possession of it. On February 1, a notice was issued to the madrassa and namaz place for children built on one side of the said land. They were asked to remove it themselves.
‘Encroachers Had Congress’ Patronage’
“We had a bridge made on the Gaula River in Haldwani in 2003, connecting the entire Kumaon region. When that bridge collapsed, an investigation was done. I filed an RTI and asked about the outcome of the investigation. In the answer to that PIL, I got to know that a major reason for the collapse was the illegal mining taking place under that bridge. In 2013, I filed a PIL in the Nainital High Court. The HC appointed a commissioner who had to submit a report after seeing the condition of the bridge. In his report, the commissioner informed that illegal mining was done around the foundation of the pillars of the bridge and that the people living there and occupying the land were the ones doing illegal mining. In this report, it was also revealed that whatever was extracted after mining was being supplied and this illegal business was taking place from that encroached land.
In 2007, a PIL was filed regarding the same land. Even then, the court had given orders to remove illegal encroachments. Some people were removed but when the Congress government came to power, encroachers got political patronage. I filed a fresh PIL in March 2022 because the earlier PIL was related to the Gaula River Bridge. The High Court after that published a notice in all the newspapers that if any encroacher has valid documents, he can present his case before the court. The hearing happened but no encroacher could present valid documents. After that, HC gave seven days to remove the encroachment. Against this decision, encroachers went to the Apex Court and the hearing is still going on. However, the biggest problem here is that this land belongs to railways and their many projects are pending because they do not have land.”
Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pankaj Upadhyay said, “When the encroachment was not removed, we planned to remove it ourselves and sealed the place. On February 6, the accused party submited their application in the High Court, in which the court did not give them any relief on February 8 and fixed the hearing date as February 14. Meanwhile, on February 8, the police administration went and demolished the illegal encroachment.”
Targeting the Police
When the Municipal Corporation team and police force were returning after removing illegal encroachment, Abdul Malik’s henchmen and the mob instigated by him surrounded the administration’s convoy and started attacking them with petrol bombs, stones and glass bottles. Further, anti-social elements came on a bike and surrounded Banbhoolpura Police Station. They threw petrol bombs and set parked vehicles on fire. By the time, the police force reached to help wounded people and police, more than 200 police personnel, journalists and members of the corporation were injured.
Action against Illegal Encroachment
■ 527 Illegal Majar
■ 28 Mandirs
■ 2 walls of Gurudwaras
■ 3458 acre forest land
■ 586 acre land of Power department in Dehradun
■ Nine illegally constructed Madrasas Demolished
Meanwhile, a large number of people belonging to Valmiki community reached Gandhi Nagar area to help the Corporation workers and rescue them safely. They also took journalists to a safe place. As soon as CRPF, SSB force arrived to help the police, SSP Prahlad Meena and City Magistrate Richa Singh ordered shoot at sight and imposed curfew in the area. The situation was brought under control late in the night.
Confiscate Miscreants Property
Late night, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called an emergency meeting and reviewed the situation and gave instructions to send additional police forces to the riot-hit area and deal strictly with the miscreants. He immediately sent ADG Law and Order Anshuman to Haldwani. By morning, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi and DGP Abhinav Kumar also reached Haldwani and reviewed the situation. On February 9, in the afternoon, CM Pushkar Dhami also reached Haldwani where he inquired about the well-being of the injured police personnel and journalists.
CM Dhami warned that those who try to disturb Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand will not be spared. The accused will be sent to jail under the Gangster Act and Rasuka Act. The Government’s loss will be compensated by confiscating their properties.
“The police acted in the lawful exercise of their right to self-defence in discharging their official duties. We have sufficient audio-visual evidence to support this effect. It will be presented in the ongoing magisterial inquiry and criminal investigation” — Abhinav Kumar, DGP, Uttarakhand
DM Vandana Singh said, “This was an action to remove encroachment but some mischievous elements tried to give this incident a communal colour, which we foiled. The accused are being identified with the help of CCTV, video and mobile surveillance. So far, 128 arms licenses have been cancelled.”
“A legal process to remove the encroachment is being carried out at various places and so it was done here too…Our teams and resources moved and nobody was provoked or harmed…No actions were taken (by Police and administration) to cause harm to life and property…The demolition drive began peacefully…Despite the entire process being carried out properly, a large mob, within half an hour attacked our municipal cooperation team…” — Vandana Singh, DM Nainital
SSP Prahlad Meena said that door-to-door search is going on. Till now, 52 people have been sent to jail. Illegal weapons, pistols and cartridges have also been recovered. Six teams have been formed to search the main accused Abdul Malik. He revealed that Abdul Malik is an old history-sheeter and preparations are underway to confiscate his property.
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