Bulldozers out again: Houses of violence accused razed in UP's Saharanpur

MUZAFFARNAGAR/BAREILLY: Two houses of men alleged to have been involved in violence that followed remarks against Prophet Mohammad were bulldozed in Saharanpur on Saturday, police said, adding that the accused will also be booked under the stringent National Security Act. At least 64 people have been arrested in the town so far.
DIG (Saharanpur zone) Dr Preetinder Singh said, "Arrests have been made.We are scanning CCTV footage and mobile clips to identify more accused. The siituation is now normal and all markets have reopened."
Meanwhile, 25 people were also arrested in Moradabad, which witnessed sporadic stone-pelting on Friday afternoon. SSP Moradabad Hemant Kutiyal said that 90 people, including 10 who have been identified, were booked and video clips are being scanned.
Locals residents, however, alleged that police picked up several "innocent youngsters" from a tea stall and booked them in this case. Stepping in, Moradabad MP Dr ST Hasan said he had a word with the SSP and DM who promised that "no innocent person will go to jail".
The arrests of young protesters made local lawmakers intervene in Saharanpur as well. Saharanpur MP Haji Fazlur Rehman met DM Akhilesh Singh and SSP Akash Tomar along with local clerics and politicians, including Behat MLA Umar Ali Khan, and expressed objections over the "arbitrary arrests".
Rahman said: "We don't have an issue if the real culprits are arrested, but action should not be taken against the innocent. Police should not pick up youngsters from local street corners just to make a case."
In Muzaffarnagar, police detained a few people for allegedly sharing fake messages. “A day before Friday prayers, a fake message attributed to Maulana Arshad Madani, chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, went viral. This message misled many. We are trying to trace the source,” said SSP Muzaffarnagar Abhishek Yadav.