Sign-boards bar entry of ‘outsiders’ inKedar valley villages, DGP orders probe

Dehradun: Uttarakhand director general of police (DGP), Abhinav Kumar, ordered a probe on Monday following reports of villages -- like Nyalsu, Shersi, Rampur Fata and Ravigram -- in Kedar valley of Rudraprayag district putting up boards barring entry of ‘outsiders'.Initially, the boards stated that ‘non-Muslims, Rohingya Muslims and hawkers' should not be allowed in the villages, but they were changed to ‘outsiders' on Saturday after police started removing them.DGP Kumar told TOI: "After the incident came to our knowledge a couple of days ago, I directed SP, Rudraprayag, to probe the matter. If villagers are concerned regarding safety or security in their villages, they should raise it with authorities concerned. If they are taking any action on their own in that regard, it should not be biased. Local police have been asked to discuss the matter with villagers and resolve the matter amicably as per the law."The state's top cop also said police will look into rights of gram sabhas in restricting movement of people in villages. "Ensuring law and order is our main concern. However, safety and security of small settlements and villages in the hills are also among our top priorities," said Kumar.Pramod Singh, a village head of Rampur Fata, one such place where the boards had been put up, claimed the boards were to "ensure the safety and security of women and children at home as most of our men go to Kedarnath during the yatra season to work".He added: "They return only once the season concludes. During that period, women and children in villages are vulnerable to crime. Nowadays, many unidentified hawkers enter the village to sell their items. The motive behind the boards is to ensure their proper verification is done from their hometown as well as local police here."