Haldwani violence: Mastermind Abdul Malik arrested from Delhi
Six people had died in the February 8 violence
Six people had died in the February 8 violence
Six people had died in the February 8 violence
Six people had died in the February 8 violence
The Uttarakhand Police on Saturday arrested the alleged mastermind of the February 8 violence in Haldwani where at least six people were killed and more than a hundred others injured.
Abdul Malik, who was arrested from Delhi, has been brought back to Haldwani and will be produced before a local court at the earliest, police said.
Two other rioters, too, were arrested on Saturday, taking the total number of people arrested so far in the case to 81.
Police had formed six teams to search for Malik and his son Abdul in different states and had also issued a lookout notice against the duo on February 16. Moid is still on the run.
What the case about
Violence broke out in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura area on February 8 after the Municipal Corporation demolished a madrasa “illegally built” by Malik.
Malik had opposed the administration’s action and his wife Safia had gone to the court challenging the corporation’s notice for the demolition of the madrasa.
The court, however, refused to grant them relief and the structure was demolished, triggering incidents of stone-pelting and arson in the Muslim dominated area.
Police had initially filed three FIRs. They later registered a fresh case charging six people, including Malik and his wife, with criminal conspiracy and illegal plotting, construction and transfer of land.
They were booked under sections 120B(criminal conspiracy), 417 (cheating) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the IPC, he told reporters.